These Little Wonders
by AML15
Summary: A collection of related one-shots about Caskett and family.
1. New Routine

**Hello! This is a collection of one-shots that may or may not be chronological. This first one-shot was inspired by 1x02 "Nanny McDead". Enjoy! **

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Rick Castle kept a slow pace with the little one next to him, holding tight to the tiny hand clutching his own. A strong breeze swept passed them and they instinctively huddled closer together as they kept walking. A chill was in the air today, reminding Castle that these trips to the park were numbered before winter brought a temporary end to their daily routine. As the two rounded the street corner and the playground equipment was in sight, the small hand pulled itself free of Castle's grip. Rick watched his little one scamper away, blending into the madness of activity at the park. Castle ambled over to a vacant bench. His eyes swept the surrounding area, scanning the copious amounts of women present today. Several of them met his gaze. He was here regularly enough for some of the moms to know exactly who he was. An even lesser amount knew nothing of his identity, but simply threw themselves at him because he was the only father showing up at the park most days.

Castle hadn't been sitting at the bench long when he noticed one of the moms whisper something to her friend and get up, heading for him. She had short blond hair and was wearing a shirt that showed a little too much skin for late autumn. She eyed him seductively, swayed her hips more than necessary, making it clear to everyone in the park exactly what her intentions were. Castle braced himself.

Someone else stepped in front of his line of sight, shifting his gaze. It was a tall, gorgeous brunette, who settled herself right next to Castle on the bench and grabbed his face possessively and planted one right on him in front of the other woman.

"Hi, Hubby, sorry I'm late." Kate said loudly. "Would've been here sooner, but we had some trouble apprehending a suspect. I almost had to pull my gun on him." It was on the last sentence that Kate threw a backwards glance at the stunned blonde, who was now deterred from her mission and slunk back to her friend.

Jealous Beckett marking her territory was always a turn-on. Castle pulled her a little closer for another kiss.

"Did you really have trouble apprehending a suspect or did you just want to mention to the whole park that you have a gun?" He whispered in her ear. "And what's with calling me 'Hubby'?"

He'd picked up on all of her tactics. She leveled her gaze at him. "Someone had to put the slutty blond in her place." She said unapologetically. Castle smirked. "Besides, you're the one who asked me to come here on my lunch break." She glanced at her watch. "I have exactly 45 minutes with you two."

"We'll take it." Castle settled an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him and sighed contently.

"So where is our boy?" She asked, scanning the playground.

"There." Castle pointed. "Digging a hole to China in the sandpit." He said proudly.

Twenty-month-old Joey Castle looked up from his spot in the sand, searching for his father, and noticed his mother had joined them. A huge grin broke across his face, melting his mother's heart. She watched him push himself up to his feet and run to her, as fast as his short legs would carry him.

"Hi, Goof!" Kate called to him. When he reached her, she pulled him into her lap, but he quickly got his feet back on the ground and pulled at Kate's hand.

"Come, Mommy!" Joey pleaded. It was clear the boy wanted to play. Castle watched Joey lead Kate over to the slides and coerced her to join him for the ride with just one smile. Kate followed Joey up the steps to the biggest slide and only struggled a little on the child-sized playground equipment. Castle watched them and wondered why they'd never thought to do this on Kate's lunch break before. He and Joey had joined her for lunch plenty of times because, well, spending all day with a baby isn't exactly thrilling and it allowed Kate time with Joey. But perhaps they'd stumbled upon a nice way to shake up their routine. And Kate's presence would definitely keep the lonely, single mothers at bay.

Castle glanced around to find none of the other moms watching him. Finally. His wife had seamlessly fixed his only complaint about his son's favorite park. Castle smirked. God, he loved that woman.

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	2. Sick Day

**Here's another one-shot for you! I have a few already written, but not currently working on any at the moment, so I'm now taking suggestions for any more one-shots. Got something you'd like to see, let me know! If I'm inspired by it, I'll write it! **

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Rick Castle stepped quickly into the elevator and pressed the button for his floor repeatedly. He sighed at the crawling pace of the elevator and checked his phone again to see the time. He'd been in the Hamptons all weekend, forcing himself to write with little avail in the end. Kate had called a few hours ago, effectively cutting the work-vacation short. It hadn't taken much to convince him to return since he hadn't felt like going in the first place.

"Go." Kate had pushed at first. "You're on a deadline and there is no way you'll get anything done here while Joey and I are sick as dogs."

He'd objected on the grounds that he'd feel like a scoundrel leaving his sick wife to take care of their sick child while he ran away to the Hamptons, but Kate wouldn't let the matter go. She assured him that she and Joey would be fine suffering together and she would feel better if she knew he wasn't getting sick, too.

He finally reluctantly agreed. When he'd left, the two seemed fine considering their state of health, but apparently Kate and their son were now feeling worse. Well, actually, when she'd called to beg Rick to come home, she'd said Joey was _his_ whiney, clingy, needy son and if he'd like to keep Joey, he'd better get home soon so she could at least sleep for a few hours. Rarely did he ever see Kate Beckett pushed to her limits and he knew this was one of the few times. He could see why; their almost-two-year-old was no angel when he was feeling under the weather and even harder to handle if they were sick also.

Rick arrived at the front door to the apartment, quickly opened it with his key and scanned the inside. Toys were strewn everywhere, tissues were left crumpled on the coffee table, and half-drunk sippy cups were in every room in Kate's attempt to keep Joey hydrated. And yet, the only two things missing from sickness central were Kate and Joey themselves. Rick dropped his bag by the door and checked Joey's room. It was empty. He went back down to the first floor and around the corner into his and Kate's room. There was Kate, lying on her side with the little monster himself curled up next to her. His forehead was pressed against hers and his little arm had snaked under her neck where his hand had found an abundance of her hair to tangle his little fingers in as he drifted off to sleep. Rick took a few more quiet steps into the room when Kate's eyes opened and found his.

"I got here as fast as I could." He whispered, gently sitting on the other side of the bed.

She smiled a little. "Of course as soon as I got off the phone, your son decided he was tired. This is the longest he's slept in two days."

"How's he doing?"

"Fine. No fever today, but his nose is a faucet and the skin is getting irritated from me wiping it. He fights me every time I try to get the snot off his face."

"And how are you?" Rick asked. He saw something change in her expression.

"Well, I thought maybe I was coming down with something worse than what Joey has, but then I took a pregnancy test."

Her bombshell of a statement, said oh-so-casually, caught him off-guard. He finally managed to say "And?"

That dazzling smile of hers knocked the breath right out of his lungs. He forced himself to inhale. The shock was quickly dissipating and he was almost giddy, trying his best to keep quiet for Joey's sake. "Are you saying we're going to be having another whiny, clingy, needy child around here?"

"You have such a way with words." She teased, but he could see she was thrilled. "I'm saying we _could_ be. I'll make an appointment with my doctor this week." Her eyes fell adoringly to Joey. "Fingers crossed."

"Kate…" He breathed. He didn't know what else to say and her softened gaze told him she was feeling it, too. He leaned over Joey, careful not to wake him, and shared a kiss with his wife. She returned the affection, but then quickly ended the kiss when she felt Rick lean in further, showing no signs of backing off.

"Rick, I swear to God, if you _wake_ Joey!" The sick, sleep-deprived Kate was back and her warning didn't need to be finished for Rick to know trouble would befall the idiot who woke the slumbering beast. He eased back carefully and resigned himself to stretching out on the bed on the other side of Joey. His eyes rested on the brown-haired baby boy between him and Kate.

"What do you think are the odds of having another one just like Joey?" Kate whispered suddenly, drawing his eyes back to her.

"Absolutely impossible." He responded. Kate sighed.

"But Joey is perfect."

The corners of Rick's mouth tugged upwards slightly. "The next one will be, too."

Kate knew they really shouldn't be talking about a baby - not before there was even official confirmation that she was pregnant. She couldn't help it, though. Even if they didn't speak about it, she knew her thoughts would be preoccupied with the possibility anyway. It was simply too wonderful to hope that she was.

Joey inhaled sharply, causing both parents to freeze. Joey's hand reached up to rub his face sleepily and he rolled over, moving towards Rick. His other hand relinquished its tight grip on Kate's hair and instead found the front of his father's shirt to hold onto. His eyes never opened and his breathing returned to normal, but still Rick and Kate were absolutely motionless.

After several moments, Rick finally broke the silence. "Try to sleep, Kate. I'll put Joey in his bed. That way when he wakes up, you can keep resting."

She eyed him warily as he moved slowly to lift Joey.

"I won't wake him up." Rick promised in a low whisper. "Besides, if I do, it's my problem. I'm giving you your time to sleep."

"Fine…. Thank you." She murmured, already burying her face in her pillow and getting comfortable.

Rick eased out of the room slowly with a sleeping Joey in his arms. He put the boy in his own bed and waited a moment to make sure Joey didn't wake up. Once he was convinced Joey wouldn't stir, he gathered his things from near the door and took his laptop to the study. But instead of opening his current story project, Rick found himself on a website for baby names. The book could wait, despite the pressing deadline. Right now, he couldn't think of anything else but the prospect of being a father again. The book would simply have to wait.

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	3. Sweets

**This chapter was inspired by a small moment in 5x04 "Murder, He Wrote". It's not a very long chapter, just a little moment that popped in my head. **

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Detective Kate Beckett held her breath. It was a quiet Friday night at the precinct and if remained quiet for the next minute, she was free to go for the weekend. She had big plans and after the week she'd had, good lord, did she need the break! She heard the elevator open, but didn't think anything of it until she heard the unmistakable sound of quick, little steps marching right toward her. She turned, caught the sight of him, and couldn't stop the smile from lighting up her whole face. There was her little man. Twenty-month-old Joey Castle was running as fast as his little feet would carry him, leaving his father to amble behind him in amusement. Kate stood up from her desk to greet her son, but was startled when Joey ran right past her. Her gaze stuck with him as he continued on his mission, past her desk, heading right for Esposito's. Espo was on the phone in what seemed to be a heated conversation. Kate was about to grab Joey before he disturbed Esposito, but she froze at the sight of what unfolded. Joey stopped next to Espo's chair and smiled wickedly. "Canny?" His little voice squeaked.

Without breaking his focus with his call, Esposito pulled open a drawer and dug inside for a moment, finally withdrawing Joey's favorite kind of candy: a Hershey's kiss. He shifted the phone to be cradled between his face and shoulder so that his hands could unwrap the piece of candy and give it to Joey. As he handed it to him, Espo flashed the boy a brief smile before his stern expression was back in place. Joey popped the chocolate in his mouth, giggling a little as he did.

By now, Castle had reached Kate and the two stood shoulder to shoulder, leaning against Kate's desk, watching Esposito's interaction with their small son.

"Huh." Castle mused.

Esposito wrapped up the call and spun around, finding Kate and Castle's eyes on him. "What?" He asked defensively.

"Nothing," Kate smiled. "I just didn't realize you were such a good candidate for Joey's next babysitter." She teased.

Esposito scowled and spun back around to his desk, leaving the two parents to share a laugh and wonder at how long Esposito had been winning the boy over with candy when they weren't looking. Joey finally finished his chocolate and remembered his mother was here.

"Hi, Mommy." He said in his sing-song voice. Kate couldn't bare another moment without having the boy in her arms. She hugged him close and pressed several kisses to his sweet, little face.

"Hi, Baby." She finally said, smiling like a fool. "I missed you today."

"Are you ready, Hon?" Castle asked.

"Yes!" Kate said enthusiastically. She turned to grab her jacket and caught Gates' disapproving gaze. Gates never liked it when Joey was in the precinct. "Don't worry, we're just leaving." Kate informed her, not even trying to hide the underlying tone of insubordination in her voice. She wouldn't let the captain's sour mood ruin a perfectly good weekend. She let Joey sit on the top of her desk, playing with the pens while she slipped her jacket on. "Ok, Joey, are you ready to go?" She asked her son, scooping him up again and unable to restrain herself from kissing his cheek again. Twice. She couldn't help it; the boy had kissable cheeks. Holding Joey in one arm and taking Castle's hand with the other, Kate headed out for a weekend with her boys. She couldn't think of anything better.

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	4. Still Partners

**A/N: Just to clear up any confusion - these aren't necesarily in any particular order, although so far, they have all been when Joey is a little younger than 2, but again, not necesarily chronological. I think this One-Shot will also clear up any other pressing questions you have ;) So read on! **

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Kate Beckett was exhausted. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. The week at work really hadn't been any different that usual, but the first trimester of her pregnancy was really kicking her ass, making everything difficult. She'd hoped the second time around would be easier, but so far, it hadn't been the case. She dragged herself to the front door and entered. Her sweeping gaze found neither of her men. Kicking off her heels, she sighed with relief as her sore feet were freed. "Rick?" She called out.

"In the study." She heard his quieter reply.

She moved on throbbing feet, finding Castle at his desk, feet propped up, leaning back in his chair. Joey was sprawled across his chest, sound asleep.

"Getting a lot of work done, I see." She teased, making her way to them.

"I'll have you know, I got two whole pages done." He said defensively.

"Two whole pages? That's it?" Kate shook her head in mock disappointment.

"Yeah, I admit it, I'm slacking today." He looked at Joey. "The boy and I were simply having too much fun."

"You know, he's asleep. You could put him in his bed and write." Kate pointed out. Rick sighed.

"But this is one of the best feelings in the world, having a child fall asleep on you."

"Mhm. He does look pretty cozy." Kate agreed. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Joey's head.

"My turn." Rick said, his finger reaching out to guide her chin closer to him.

"I'll tell you what," Kate began, then pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "You let me take Joey and you can have this file." One more kiss. She watched his expression as she dangled the file in front of him.

"You got a new case?" He asked, his excitement clearly written across his face.

"Yes, and I could use your insight." She told him honestly. Rick pretended to mull it over for a moment.

"Fine."

Kate smiled and handed Rick the file, then started to carefully lift Joey off of Rick. He opened his eyes, but seeing it was his mother, closed them again. Kate slowly sauntered over to one of the chairs and eased herself into it, cradling Joey as she did. Rick was already flipping through the crime scene photos, but paused for a moment to peer over the file at his wife and son, snuggled together in the chair across from this desk. He missed the days at the precinct, following Detective Beckett around and living out his own boyish fantasy of solving crimes, but he and Kate had come to the mutual decision just before Joey was born that since Rick's primary career was that of a mystery novelist, it made sense for him to stay home with Joey and write when he could. It wasn't a perfect situation, because he did miss working with Kate, but Kate still snuck him case files practically every time. So they had nights like this now, building theory while Joey slept.

Rick watched Kate run her hand over Joey's hair, then down his back and then up again, as if she was trying to soak in every part of him at once. He knew it was hard for her, too. She missed Joey while she was working. She missed having Rick sitting in the chair by her desk, distracting her from paper work. But the way things were now made the moments with her two favorite guys all the more endearing.

"So, Castle, any theories?" Kate said softly, finally lifting her eyes from Joey.

He flashed Kate his self-assured grin. "Of course. It was the butler."

Kate rolled her eyes. "God, Castle, I meant _real_ theories!" She blurted out.

He brought a finger to his lips and glanced at Joey, silencing her outrage. She shook her head at him. "Come on. _Real _theories." She prodded in a loud whisper, letting a small smile brighten her features.

He couldn't help responding with a smile of his own. He loved this. He loved how she always slipped back into calling him 'Castle' whenever they were discussing a case. "Alright, this is what I've got so far…" He began, planting his feet back on the floor and straightening up. Kate's eyes lit up the way they always did when she knew the two of them were about to do something great. As much as their relationship had evolved to being lovers and then parents, at the root of it all, they were still partners in solving crime. That much hadn't changed, even if Rick didn't make it to the precinct very often. They were still partners, one way or another.

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	5. Look who's 2!

**A/N: just wanted to take a moment to say thanks for all the positive feedback! But also wanted to say, I don't know how often I'll update during this month. Exams + Holidays = one busy person! But I've already got a few special Christmas posts that I'm really excited about so I'll try to get those polished up and posted soon. In the meantime, let me know what you think of this chapter! :) **

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Joey was ecstatic.

It was his second birthday and although he didn't quite understand the significance of the day, he was enjoying himself with all the special treats and gifts. The party wasn't until the following week, leaving today open for time with the family. At least, that had been the plan.

It was supposed to be Rick, Kate, and Joey, celebrating Joey's joyous presence in their lives. Instead, it had turned out to be just Kate and Joey. Rick had been on a book tour that was supposed to end two days ago, in time for Joey's birthday, but Mother Nature had other ideas. A snow storm had grounded all flights out of Chicago, where Rick was stranded.

"Just go ahead with what we had planned." Rick had resigned himself to telling Kate over the phone. "There's no reason Joey should be deprived of a good time on my account."

"We could wait a day or two. Joey is still young, he won't know the difference." Kate had suggested, feeling just as pained as Rick that he wouldn't make it in time.

In the end, Rick's argument had won out. He wanted to be there for his son, but he couldn't bear the thought that Joey's birthday would be nothing special because of him.

So that was how Kate and Joey found themselves spending the morning eating French toast and opening a few gifts – Kate decided to keep the best present tucked away for when Rick got home – then getting ready for the day and heading over to lunch at Joey's favorite spot, complete with a birthday cupcake and serenading. Now, Kate watched her son, her January baby, toddle awkwardly on his ice skates and shoot her a goofy grin. She was in front of him, going backwards and gripping both of his hands to support him as they slowly made their way around the ice rink. "You're doing so good, Buddy!" Kate praised him. His expression was priceless, filled with wonder and excitement.

Rick should be here for this, she thought. Her heart ached and she tried to push the feelings aside, tried to stay happy for Joey. Her baby boy, who brightened her life more than she would have thought possible, deserved a perfect day. Although, how perfect could it really be without Rick? Joey had already turned to her on several occasions today and asked "Daddy?".

"Daddy's going to be home as soon as he can, Goof." Kate had told him each time.

Some older kids sped past Kate and Joey, bumping into Kate and nearly knocking over Joey. Kate swore as she steadied herself. Disaster averted. Barely. Kate glared at the kids' backs, but Joey's cries stole her focus. He was startled and she was sure her reaction hadn't helped. His hands reached up, begging to be held as his wails gained volume. "Mommy, up!" He demanded. "Up!"

"Ok, Honey, it's ok." Kate murmured, lifting her son. His bulky coat made him difficult to hold, but Kate managed. He buried his face into her scarf. Kate's gaze swept the rink, wondering where those kids had gone and if they had parents here. Joey's head popped up and looked at Kate.

"Hey, Buddy." She wiped the tears off his rosy cheeks. "We're ok."

His gaze broke away from hers and he didn't say anything.

"Want to get down and try again?" She asked him after a moment. "I promise I'll tackle any of the other kids that come near us." She half-joked, her humor understandably lost on the toddle. He was starting to get heavy and she wasn't sure how much longer she could last on the ice.

"Daddy." He said. Kate sighed. It wasn't a question this time. More of a demand, it sounded like.

"I'm sorry, Joey, I know you want your daddy. He's –"

"Right behind you."

Kate spun around on her skates, wobbled a bit with Joey and steadied herself against Rick.

"Daddy!" Joey exclaimed in his sing-song voice. Rick plucked Joey out of Kate's arms and hugged him fiercely.

"Oh, Buddy, Daddy missed you!" Rick told his son, although his words were slightly muffled by Joey's coat. He met Kate's stunned gaze. "Storm finally cleared up this morning." He explained. "I bribed a flight attendant to get me on the first flight to New York." Then he flashed her that boyish grin that still made her heart flutter. "Daddy missed you, too." He said, quirking an eyebrow.

She shook her head in disbelief. He'd actually made it. She suddenly felt so relieved and so happy and just so… ugh! Damn pregnancy hormones! She felt tears prick her eyes and furiously blinked them away. Rick didn't take notice, he was too busy snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her in for a kiss.

"Joey, close your eyes." Rick joked between kisses. "Daddy needs some lovin'." Kate pulled away from the second kiss to see Joey had squinted his eyes shut as Rick had suggested. She laughed then, her first real laugh all day and it felt wonderful. Joey's eyes opened and he joined in on the laugh, of which he wasn't sure was the cause.

"Alright," Rick straightened up. "Joey, are you ready to skate?" He put the boy down without waiting for a reply. Joey stood between his parents, who each grabbed a hand. A huge smile spread across Rick's face. "I've been waiting all day for this."

And they were off. Rather slowly, for Joey's sake, but savoring the moment nevertheless. When they had skated so long that they were chilled to the bone, the three happily retreated home for hot chocolate and warm blankets and dinner by the fire.

And when the exhausted birthday boy went to sleep without a fight, Kate and Rick enjoyed their own celebration by the fire. They had two weeks of separation to make up for, starting tonight.

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	6. Christmas 2015

**Author's note: This is the first of three Christmas chapters I have written so far. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Christmas for the family and is set in a different year. Although this one is first, I actually wrote this one the most recently, inspired by the Castle Christmas episode. The other two were written before that, so if it doesn't exactly fit with what we learned from that episode, you'll know why, but I think it all still fits together pretty nicely :) Enjoy! **

**December 2015**

Traditions were meant to be kept, Kate knew. However, she'd been happy to jump into Castle's traditions and she fully embraced starting a few new ones of their own. So she hadn't expected to feel a sudden push in her heart for her own family traditions, blocked out many years ago by the tumultuous emotions attached to them.

To say Castle was shocked when Kate admitted she wanted to dig up her old Christmas ornaments this year, would be the understatement of the year. But he'd been supportive, too. Excited, even, although Kate could tell he was trying to reign it in for her benefit. The tricky part was bringing it up to her dad. The ornaments were in a storage unit in the company of several other possessions that once belonged to Johanna Beckett. They had wanted to keep her things, but it was too hard to see them everyday. Jim was the only one with the key and Kate wondered what her father's thoughts would be on the subject of reviving their Christmas traditions after so many years. When she'd finally built up the nerve to pick up the phone and call her dad, the conversations wasn't at all as she'd imagined it would be.

"Hello, Katie." His voice had come through over the phone sounding as warm and affectionate as ever. Her heart thundered wildly in her chest. She didn't want to hurt him – he'd been hurt enough in his life – and she feared broaching the subject of the ornaments would do just that.

"Hi, Dad." Her voice shook nervously.

"How's my grandson?" He asked, not seeming to notice her turmoil. His pride over the boy was evident in his simple question and for whatever reason, it made things even harder for Kate. He was such a wonderful dad and an even better grandfather. She felt like she was about to stab him in the back.

"Joey's great. He's so close to walking on his own. I can see it when he pulls himself up against the coffee table; he gets this look in his eye like he can conquer anything. You gotta see him, Dad, it's so funny." Kate allowed Joey as a minor distraction in the conversation, slipping into bragging about her baby without realizing it.

Jim laughed softly over the line. "Sounds like you when you were that age." His voice was so tender, so proud. Kate's heart swelled at his words. Most days, she looked at Joey and saw so much of Castle in him – which was not at all a bad thing – but it was nice to hear Joey might have a little bit of his mother in him as well.

"So, Dad, I'm really calling about – I wanted to talk…" She fumbled over her words, not making much sense at all. "This may seem out of the blue, but it's Joey first Christmas and I just thought it would be nice…"

"What is it, Katie?" His tone had changed, picking up on his daughter's anxiety and the sudden topic switch to the upcoming holiday. His voice was heavier, but more concerned than upset.

"I wanted to know if… if I could grab our old Christmas ornaments from the storage unit. You don't have to go, I can just swing by and get the key." She waited for what felt like an eternity.

"Yeah." Came his quiet response. "Yeah, of course you can."

Kate felt relief surge through her veins.

"Only if you bring Joey when you pick up the key." He added, lightening the mood with his obvious love for his grandson.

"Sounds like a deal." Kate murmured with a small smile. She still felt a twinge of guilt, but tried to let it go. She was doing this for her son because she didn't want any of her emotional scars with the holiday to get in the way of Joey experiencing Christmas the way she had as a kid. And Kate suspected her father had agreed for the very same reasons. Having Joey had put a few things in perspective for not only herself as a new mother, but also Jim as a new grandfather. They would never forget – _could _never forget – the inexplicably deep pain of losing Johanna, but they both came to the same realization on their own that they both wanted Joey to know more about Johanna's life than Johanna's death. And to accomplish that, it meant pushing passed certain painful moments in their lives so they could open up about the wonderful person Johanna was and the extraordinary life she had lived.

And Johanna would have wanted this to happen, Kate had no doubt. Traditions were meant to be kept, not pushed aside. Johanna would have wanted the magic of Christmas to find its way back into Jim and Kate's hearts. They may not be there yet, but it was slowly progressing towards that.

Castle and Joey went with Kate to the storage unit, rooting through several personal items of Johanna's before finally finding the boxes of Christmas ornaments stacked near the back. Kate looked at the worn cardboard box, feeling like it hadn't been that long since she and her father had packed it up and shoved it away. The box was labeled 'Ornaments' in faded, black marker, written in Johanna's pristine handwriting. Kate's finger traced the word, picturing clearly the last time she'd seen this box. She was lost in thought until Joey made a noise that almost sounded like a real word. She turned, seeing Joey was tucked safely in his father's arms and Castle was watching her, hesitant of what to do.

"Are you ok?" He asked. He didn't think they would have to wade through so many boxes to get these. He was concerned that perhaps she was regretting this, that perhaps the onslaught of memories was too overwhelming.

She gave him a sad smile, seeing his worry etched on his face. "I don't know. Let's just get this box and the one behind it and get out of here."

Castle had no problem with that plan. He put Joey down and stacked the two boxes on top, determined to carry both. Kate shook her head at the way he wouldn't let her help and decided to hold Joey's hand and let Castle's ego handle this one. Besides, if he threw out his back, she could always tell him 'I told you so'.

The boxes were hauled back to the loft, where several other containers of Christmas decorations were waiting. Martha and Alexis had already sorted the boxes into piles and were waiting for Castle, Kate, and Joey.

Joey was naturally a curious child and he'd been absolutely enthralled with the buzz of activity in their home the day the tree went up and they began adorning it with festive lights, tinsel, and ornaments. He pulled himself up against several boxes, but his efforts to dig through them were always thwarted by one of the many adults in his life.

"Here, Joey, I think you'll be safe with this box." Alexis pulled the eleven-month-old away from the hazardous box of glass ball ornaments he'd just found and carried him on her hip over to the plastic bin containing the train and tracks. They weren't exactly baby-friendly, but none of the pieces were fragile or small enough to swallow, so it would have to do.

Kate watched Joey grab the train engine with one hand, stretch it out away from his body, and purposefully drop it. "Uh oh." His little voice squeaked. It was one of the few things he'd actually learned to say so far, right up there with 'Mama' and 'Dada'. Kate wasn't sure how she felt about that. But she couldn't deny she loved that he was starting to mimic more and more words that he heard.

"It's only an 'uh oh' if it's an accident, Joey." Castle gently explained to his son, although it was futile, because Joey then picked up a piece of the track and repeated his actions, echoing his new favorite phrase as he did. Kate laughed.

A knock at the door interrupted the family's activity. Martha went to answer and all were surprised to see Jim standing in the doorway.

"Dad, I thought you were leaving for the cabin today." Kate said, moving away from the tree to greet her father and usher him inside.

"Well, I was." Jim told her as he embraced his daughter. "But I was thinking… like you said, it's Joey's first Christmas and I just felt like I should be here for that. For Joey."

Kate was stunned silent, but her mind was racing. Castle watched her stand frozen in place, digesting her father's news.

"Well, that's wonderful!" Martha jumped in. "Come on in, Jim. We've only just started decorating a little while ago so there is still plenty we need help with."

Kate made a mental note to thank Martha later for breaking the silence and moving things along. She was stuck in a fog for a few more minutes, watching everyone around her.

They hadn't even opened Kate's boxes yet. They were still stringing lights around the tree. Martha asked Jim if he wanted to help, but he said he was fine and went over by Joey. The baby smiled up at his grandfather and offered him a piece of the train track.

Things were fine for a while. But then the lights and the garland were finished up with and that meant ornaments were next on the agenda. It wasn't as painful as Kate had expected, even with her father there. No, perhaps because her father was there. Jim had a story for every ornament – most of them involving a young, precocious Katie Beckett. Martha and Alexis listened with interest, but Castle hung on every word, sending Kate teasing glances throughout the stories.

Joey crawled over to Kate, pulled himself up against her leg, and tugged persistently on her pants. She took the hint and scooped up her son, pressing kisses to his face. He snuggled his face into her neck, a sure sign he was ready for a nap. She loved him so much it hurt. She couldn't believe her father was joining her for Christmas for the first time in sixteen years and she knew it was because of her precious little boy who had his grandfather wrapped around his finger. Years ago, she never would have pictured this moment. Years ago, she would have called this impossible. Her father was here because of Joey, but the real miracle worker was Castle. He was the one that had set everything in motion leading up to this day and he hadn't even intended it. Since the moment she'd walked up to him at that party all those years ago and questioned him about a murder, he'd taken root in her life, weaseling his way in whether she liked it or not. He'd changed her, challenged her, grown with her. He'd loved her like none before and opened her heart up to love as well.

And as if he hadn't done enough, he'd managed to breathe life back into Christmas for Kate and Jim. Three years ago, he'd convinced Kate to join him for their first Christmas as a couple. That had been the start. She had always thought that it would have remained that way, her and Castle starting their own traditions. But then Joey came along. It was true what they say; a baby really does change _everything_. She wasn't making decisions for herself anymore. And when she thought about Joey's first Christmas, she wanted her boy to feel the hope and the light that Castle had talked about their first Christmas together. She wanted all the Christmases for the rest of their lives to include all of Joey's family. She wanted her mother to be a part of it, even if it was just in memory. And from this year on, part of Joey's Christmas traditions would include putting his grandmother's ornaments on the tree.

Kate felt a gentle hand on her back and it made her jump, jolting her from her thoughts. She hadn't realized how utterly lost in thought she had been. Joey had fallen asleep on her shoulder. She looked down at him and saw tear stains on his sweater. She hadn't realized she'd been crying and now she understood Castle's look of concern. She tried to smile, but when she looked into his eyes, so endlessly filled with love for her, she felt overcome with gratitude.

She leaned forward abruptly, startling him, and captured his lips with kiss. "I love you so much." She breathed, feeling fresh tears coarse down her face. He gave her an almost imperceptible smile and then his gaze flicked away from her. She followed it and felt her face flush. She'd forgotten. Somehow, she'd forgotten that her dad, mother-in-law, and stepdaughter were all a mere four feet away. She loved them all the more for pretending they didn't notice.

"Why don't you go put Joey upstairs? Come back down when you're ready." He whispered to her, wiping away a few tears with his thumb. She nodded, grateful for the excuse to leave for a moment so she could gather her wits.

Kate carried Joey up to his room and settled him in his crib. She ran her hand over his reddish-brown hair, marveling at the fact that he was hers. She took a deep breath and tried to quiet her mind before she crept out of the room. By the time she rejoined the others, she was ready to help. She caught her dad's eye and smiled at him, so very thankful that he was here. Then she caught Castle's eye and felt her heart flutter a little. It was unbelievable that after all these years, he still had that affect on her. She'd tell him later of all that had been occupying her thoughts. She'd make sure he knew just how thankful she was for his presence in her life. He'd given her Christmas back and she'd never forget it.

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**Reviews! :) **


	7. Christmas 2017

**Author's note: I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for the reviews/favs/follows! You guys are awesome! Here's another Christmas one, set two years after the last chapter, so Joey is a little older than we've seen him yet and baby #2 may make an appearance ;) This one is again very Kate-centric. I wrote it before the Christmas episode aired and tweaked it a little afterwards. Let me know what you think!  
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**December 2017**

It was almost unbearable how good the kitchen smelled this time of year and although he'd been married to her for going on four years, Castle still marveled at the amount of delicious food and treats that Kate made from scratch during the holiday season. It had started their second Christmas together as a couple, before marriage and babies entered the picture. It had started smaller that year, too, with Kate making 2 batches of gingerbread cookies one snowy afternoon in early December and then contributing to their Christmas Eve feast with a side dish of sweet potato casserole. There were plenty of leftovers that year, but Kate's dish wasn't among them. So after that year, with a little prodding-turned-flat-out-begging from Castle, Kate started to fill the month of December with occasional days of baking and cooking, brushing up on recipes she hadn't touched in over 15 years. Today, snowball cookies were on the agenda. Perhaps even peanut butter cookies with the Hershey's kiss in the middle if they had time. They were Joey's favorite, but Castle was rather partial to them as well, and made a mental note not to disrupt _anything_ if it meant having peanut butter cookies by tonight. Kate had everything prepared, every single ingredient and instrument laid out like a pro. She'd thrown on her mother's old apron – something she only really did at the holidays because it seemed fitting – and now stood at the counter, rubbing her hands together excitedly. She had that glint in her eye, that glowing smile that left Castle entranced by the sight of her. And he knew the reason why; after all these years, she finally had a helper for these Christmas baking adventures. Joey would be three next month and Kate felt confident that he was old enough to help, at least in a small way. She was beyond excited to have him in the kitchen with her this year, to share years of memories and traditions with him. She had been about his age when she remembered helping her mother bake Christmas cookies for the first time. Now it was Joey's turn. Everything had come wonderfully full-circle for Kate.

"Alright, are you ready, Goof?" She asked him. He grinned broadly and nodded his head vigorously.

"Wait!" Castle suddenly exclaimed, drawing all eyes to him as he jumped from his seat and ran to the sound system. "We're only missing one thing."

Classic Christmas tunes filled the loft, creating a nice ambiance for them. Castle grinned at Kate, seeking her approval. She'd forgotten that part, but she was touched that he hadn't. He paid such close attention, especially where he felt it mattered. He always was considerate of her at the holidays, knowing how much it had meant to her mother and how deeply she missed Johanna at this time of year.

Kate sent Castle an appreciative smile and then turned to her new assistant, who was sitting on the counter and anxiously waiting for something to do, poking at the bag of flour while he waited.

"Ok, Goof, we're going to grind up the walnuts first. Come on, I'll show you which buttons to push."

Castle watched the two of them with wonder, a small smile tugging at his mouth. Occasionally, Kate's gaze met Rick's and they shared a look of joyous contentment. This was the stuff the holidays were made of. Family. Traditions. Love. They were so enjoying the holiday season with Joey this year. He was old enough to understand Santa and eagerly await his arrival. He was old enough to help trimming the tree. They'd never seen his face light up so often as it did these past few weeks with all the season's joyous events.

A faint cry came through the monitor and Castle immediately jumped up. "I'll get him." Kate watched him dash upstairs and emerge several moments later with a bright-eyed baby boy of six months with wispy brown hair and kissably chubby cheeks. "Gage didn't want to miss out on the action." Castle spoke for the babe, bringing him around to the same side of the kitchen island as Kate and Joey.

"Hi, Gagey!" Kate cooed, kissing his little face, but keeping her hands – now covered in flour – all too herself. Gage flapped his arms excitedly and reached for her.

"Buddy, Mommy is working some magic right now." Castle walked to the other side of the island and settling himself and Gage in his previous seat. "You and I get to watch."

Gage whined in protest.

"It's ok, Gagey!" Joey consoled his baby brother. "We're going to have cookies!" Kate and Rick shared a smile. To Joey, sweets solved everything. He had blissfully forgotten Gage couldn't eat cookies yet, but both parents found the toddler's effort kind.

"Ok, Joey, now stir it really well." Kate instructed Joey. He was kneeling on the counter with a bowl in front of him that Kate was holding in place with one hand and the other hand gently encircled Joey, lest he should get too excited and fall from the counter. Joey gripped the big spoon with two hands and struggled to stir.

"Like this, Mommy?" He asked, his face lifting to look at her, his brows furrowed together in concentration with a doggedly determined look in his baby blues. Kate took in his expression and suddenly felt like she was a little girl again, standing on a chair in the kitchen so that she was tall enough to reach the counter, trying with all her might to mix the dough. Her mother had laughed – a wonderfully light-hearted sound that brightened the room – and come along side her and helped her stir.

The memory faded and Kate looked down adoringly at her little boy, swallowing the lump in her throat that had suddenly risen. "Yeah, Goof." She rasped. "You're doing great." She was very aware of Castle's concerned gaze, but refused to meet his eyes. Kate grabbed the spoon just above where Joey's hands were and helped him stir. She kissed his soft cheek that was nuzzled right next to her face. She wished not for the first time that her mother could see this. She finally lifted her eyes to Castle because she knew he understood her too well and surely hadn't missed her moment of brief sadness. She wanted to reassure him that she was alright, that she wasn't really that sad. He was relieved to see in her eyes that she was fine. Happy, even. He raised a brow inquiringly and she just shook her head, not wanting to explain herself right now. She was so overcome by him, this wonderful man that took the time to know her and love her like no one else had. Best of all, he'd given her the two greatest gifts she'd ever received, Joey and Gage. At times, when she felt the loss of her mother, she also felt a profound gratitude for the life she had, for the husband and sons she loved with every cell inside her.

Kate turned her attention back to Joey because, well, life was too preciously short and she fully intended to make the most of baking cookies with her older son. Castle smiled at the mess Joey was making with the sugar and the mischievous glow it brought to the boy's face. Gage shifted in his arm, leaning his head back to look up at his father.

"Don't worry, Gage. Someday you'll be old enough to join in." Castle murmured to his younger son. As for Castle, he was more than content with the prospect of viewing the magic from the sidelines. There was nothing more beautiful than seeing Kate enriching their children's lives with traditions they would carry with them the rest of their lives. There were plenty of other holiday family traditions that Castle did with them, but this – this was all Kate's. And he loved it. Besides, somebody had to be the objective cookie taster and it might as well be him. Especially if peanut butter was involved.

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**Reviews! :) I've got one more Christmas chapter that'll I'll try to post before the weekend if anyone is interested. **


	8. Christmas 2021

**Author's note: I had several ideas for Christmas chapters, but I only managed to get three written. So, this is the final one before the holidays. I hope you enjoy it! This one was actually the first one I wrote, WAY back in November. And unlike the first two, the focus is more on the family as a whole. Let me know what you think! Merry Christmas!  
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**December 24, 2021**

It was almost Christmas in the Castle home as midnight approached. The loft was dark and quiet as each of the inhabitants slept, save one little boy who had set his alarm to go off five minutes before Christmas. Now, his sleepy eyes were glued to the glowing green numbers that told him he only had to wait one more minute. His heart thundered excitedly in his chest, his stomach twisted in anxious knots. The anticipation for Christmas had been slowly building and now he couldn't believe it was almost here. He watched the numbers switch to 12:00. It was Christmas! He threw his covers off and leapt out of bed.

Down below on the first floor, two slumbering parents were unaware of their son's plans. They had been getting everything ready for tomorrow, staging presents under the tree and splitting the plate of cookies and glass of milk. And then they'd gotten a little carried away when they were sitting by the fire, resulting in them now just getting to sleep. Rick was the first to wake, hearing creaks and shuffles outside the bedroom door. He rubbed his eyes and tried to shake off the sleep. His thoughts were still muddled as he tried to figure out why he was awake. The door opened then, letting a little light in. The silhouetted figure was small, causing Rick no alarm since it was clearly one of the kids. The figure scrambled onto the bed, startling Kate from sleep. She jolted, inhaled sharply, and looked ready to retaliate. Rick would have thought it comical if he wasn't so tired. They could both see now that it was Joey.

"Joey, what are you doing?" Kate asked sharply, still reeling from the scare. Joey didn't seem at all put off by Kate's tone. He grinned widely, bouncing a little on the bed as he spoke. Even in the dark, his excitement was evident.

"It's Christmas! You gotta wake up!"

Kate groaned and fell back onto her pillow in protest. Rick recalled his conversation with Joey before bed.

"Joey, we told you that you couldn't to stay up until midnight. You need sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow."

"I didn't stay up." Joey disputed. "I set my alarm for 11:55. I slept for hours!"

Not nearly enough hours, Kate thought, but couldn't find the energy to voice it. Rick scratched his head and yawned, chagrined by his son's need to always find a loophole.

"Please, please, please, can you two get up so we can open presents?" Joey begged.

"No, we're not letting you open presents in the middle of the night before anybody else. We do it as a family in the morning." Kate said again, having already explained this to Joey earlier in the evening.

It was to Joey's great delight that his younger brother made an appearance in the doorway at just that moment.

"You woke up Gage." Rick muttered his realization out loud. "Of course."

There was more noise from the kitchen and Rick noticed Alexis shuffling around, making coffee. Joey had planned this all so well. Kate groaned again into the blankets that she had pulled over her face. She muttered something that Rick couldn't quite make out. It probably wasn't pleasant. Which was probably why she'd smothered it with blankets.

"Come on, Mom and Dad, please?" Joey bounced again. Rick sighed.

"Please?" Gage echoed from the doorway.

"Well, if everybody is already up…"

"Yes!" Joey cheered. Gage jumped up and down and then ran out into the living room screaming. By the time Rick and Kate dragged themselves out of bed, Joey had switched on the tree lights and was passing presents out to Gage. Both boys couldn't keep their excitement to a respectable volume. Alexis, bleary-eyed and quiet, stood against the kitchen counter, shaking her head.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Rick asked.

"Hey, I love my sleep as much as the next person. I wasn't so keen to being woken up five minutes ago by Joey landing on me. If I'd known, I would have strapped him to his bed until morning."

"That's not a bad idea. Maybe we can still do that." Rick mused.

Kate thanked Alexis profusely for making coffee and trudged over to the tree. "Just a few presents." She warned the kids. "Everybody pick two." She found a spot on the floor to sit and watched the boys go crazy around her. Once the coffee was brewed, Rick poured two cups and brought one over to Kate, settling next to her. Joey was making piles of presents for everyone. Once Alexis had joined them on the floor, Kate gave the go-ahead. Wrapping paper and ribbon flew into the air while squeals and shouts filled the loft. Rick's tired eyes drank it all in; the kid's faces alight with wonderment, illuminated by the faint glow of the Christmas tree lights in the otherwise dark house. It was actually rather magical, he thought. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Kate's temple.

"I think Joey just started a new family tradition." He said quiet enough so his words only reached Kate's ears. She looked over at him with eyes shining with joy.

"Yeah. But next year I'm planning ahead. We start the coffee drinking at 10 and don't go to sleep."

He smiled and nodded in agreement. Then his eyes fell to Joey, their persistent almost-seven-year-old. "He did everything right so he wouldn't get in trouble. He went to sleep when we told him to, but set his alarm. Then he wakes everybody else up before us so that we have no choice but to give in. He's a sly one, that boy of ours."

"Gee, I wonder who he gets that from." Kate said pointedly. Her eyes danced with mischief.

Rick opened his mouth to defend himself, but then snapped it shut, realizing who he was talking to. He shrugged and couldn't hide his grin. "I guess we're lucky Gage takes after you."

"Mom! Dad! You haven't opened any of your presents yet!" Joey complained, interrupted their quiet conversation. He folded his arms across his chest and looked directly at Kate. "We're supposed to do this as a family, remember?" He said, mimicking Kate's tone earlier. Rick tried to hide his amusement by becoming suddenly interested in his cup of coffee, but it didn't escape Kate's notice. She managed one jab to his ribs with her elbow before they both opened their gifts.

"Look what Santa got me!" Joey held up a new baseball glove for his older sister to inspect. Alexis smiled approvingly.

"You're lucky you didn't wake up too early and interrupt Santa." Alexis teased. "Then he would have taken that back for sure."

Joey shot his sister a look so evidently inherited from his father – the same cocky look that Beckett had been on the receiving end of way too many times. "I know. That's why I went to sleep on time and set my alarm. I knew if I stayed up, that would be bad."

"But how did you know when Santa would be finished?" Alexis wanted to understand the boy's logic. Kate sent Alexis a look not to push it. Too many thought-provoking questions exploring how Santa operated could have disastrous results.

"He delivers presents on Christmas Eve. That means he has to be done by midnight." Joey stated matter-of-factly. Alexis let the matter drop, smiling to herself over her little brother's evident pride in himself at having pulled this off.

Gage crawled over to Kate and offered her his toy that he'd been trying free from the hard plastic encasing. "I give up." He sighed. He was no doubt getting eager to play with his new toys, watching his siblings already contently enjoying their gifts. Kate framed his serious little face with one hand and drew it closer so she could kiss it.

"No worries, my boy. We'll get this thing out."

Castle watched Joey jam his baseball glove on his hand and try to work it in. Castle grabbed the wrapping paper in front of him and balled it up tightly. "Joey, catch!" he whipped the paper ball at his son. Joey reacted quickly, but not fast enough. The ball struck him on the forehead.

"Hey!" Joey laughed. He scrambled for his own ammunition. Kate watched Gage's eyes light up. Yes, it wasn't Christmas unless Castle was starting a wrapping paper fight. This was nothing new to Alexis. She expertly grabbed her own supply from in front of her and moved to duck behind the couch. Castle slid to the other side of the coffee table. Joey took a spot half behind the tree. Gage, still a little young, didn't quite grasp the concept of a good vantage point and stayed in front of the tree. With Gage standing so close, Kate wrapped one arm around his waist while she balled up some paper.

"Kate, are you using Gage as a human shield?" Castle accused. Joey got a huge kick out of that, doubling over with laughter. Alexis took the opportunity to pelt him.

"Only until we find a better spot!" Kate defended herself, laughing a little. "Come on, Babe." She backed away with Gage, steering them over to the lounge chair.

"I'm not a shield, I'm a body guard!" Gage suddenly announced, batting wildly at a flying paper ball from Joey. Kate and Rick exchanged amused glances.

The battle raged for a good ten minutes before Castle stood, waving a crinkled sheet of paper over his head in surrender. "Time to clean up." He announced. This was met with a chorus of groans.

"I'm making hot chocolate. First one to clear their area gets the most marshmallows!" Alexis threw in as an incentive. Joey and Gage scrambled like mad to gather all the scraps off the floor. Castle and Kate shared a look. Despite spending most of her life as an only child, Alexis handled her younger half-brothers as though she'd been doing it all her life. Although, according to Alexis, having brothers wasn't much different that having Castle for a dad, she would tease. Castle went to help Alexis make hot chocolate. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Merry Christmas, Sweetheart." He murmured. She smiled up at him, that same youthful grin he'd seen all her life. He couldn't be more proud of his intelligent, driven, beautiful twenty-seven-year-old daughter who still managed to hold onto her childlike optimism. She kept pretty busy, between work and friends and her boyfriend, but she always made it back for Christmas – a fact Castle couldn't be more thrilled by.

Joey proudly announced himself the winner and raced to the counter, jumping up onto one of the seats. Gage had been close to finishing and now trudged into the kitchen with a pout on his face, feeling as he often did that he'd never quite be big enough or fast enough to beat his older brother at anything. Alexis set two mugs in front of the boys with Joey's filled to the brim with marshmallows. Gage stared at his with his face planted on his palm. Rick slyly dropped extra marshmallows in Gage's mug when Joey wasn't looking and gave his younger son a wink. Gage grinned and reached for his mug.

The two little ones finally fell silent as they sipped their drinks, but Castle could see that their bodies were still buzzing with energy. Castle glanced at the clock. It was almost 1:30. "We're never going to get these boys back in bed. They're too excited and wound-up." He whispered to Kate. She looked over her boys and saw that Castle had a point.

"We can't let them stay up too much longer or they'll be exhausted and crabby at my dad's house later." Kate replied, pondering their predicament.

"I've got an idea." Alexis surprised them. They hadn't realized she'd been listening, but they hadn't been that quiet.

With bellies full and warm, Alexis led the kids back over by the tree, turning off the rest of the kitchen lights so that only the tree lights shone. The family of five lay on the floor, looking up at the tree. After a few quiet minutes, Kate saw Gage yawn. "It's working!" She whispered to Rick. With the excitement winding down, Kate was starting to feel the late-night festivities taking their toll on herself as well. She nestled her head near Castle's and sighed contently. Although she hadn't enjoyed being startled from sleep earlier, she had to admit the night had been full of precious moments with her family. She'd thank Joey someday. Not yet, as she didn't want to encourage his behavior, but someday she'd thank him for their new tradition. Joey scooted over and rested his head on Kate's stomach. He'd probably fall asleep like that and she'd have to move him. She hated that part, but for now she welcomed her snuggly boy and played with his hair.

Kate didn't realize she'd dozed off until she felt Joey's warm body being pulled away from her. She opened her eyes to see Castle picking up a sleeping Joey. She looked around. Alexis was gone already. Only Gage was left snoozing on the floor near her. She got up and scooped up the boy, holding him close and moving slowly up the stairs to the room both boys shared. She entered behind Rick and carefully tucked Gage under the covers on his own bed and kissed him goodnight. She turned to see Castle was waiting for her near the doorway. She took his outstretched hand and crept out into the hallway.

"Want me to carry you to bed, too?" He whispered. She couldn't tell if he was joking and at this point, she was half-tempted to take him up on the offer. He looped an arm around her waist and they descended the stairs. "I can't wait until next year." He murmured excitedly. It was too dark to see her pointed stare.

"Rick, its only 2am! We still have most of Christmas day left to enjoy!" She whispered back.

"I know, I know. And we will have fun at your dad's. I'm just saying, this was nice." They'd reached the bed and both nearly collapsed onto it. Kate rolled to her side and tucked the covers under her chin.

"Yeah." Kate yawned. Castle rolled to his side, too, facing Kate and scooting closer to her. Her head ducked under his chin. Their arms went round each other and their legs tangled together. "I'm looking forward to next year, too." She admitted. She could feel Castle smiling above her. "Goodnight, Love." She whispered.

He kissed her hair. "Merry Christmas."

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**Don't be a Grinch! Review! :) **


	9. Iron Gates

**Author's note: I got this idea from wolfergirl a little while back: a Joey/Gates confrontation! Since writing the Christmas one-shots, I got a feel for Joey at different ages so he's a little older than he was in the first few chapters. I've got quite a few chapters in progress that I'm excited to share and again I'm really bouncing around with the ages so hopefully there's no confusion. As always, enjoy! :)**

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"Mommy, I don't _want_ to go to your work." Five-year-old Joey whined, leaning his head against her side as they stood in the elevator, heading to the 12th precinct. Kate sighed.

"I know, Buddy, but it'll only be for a little while until Daddy can come pick you up." Kate reminded him, smoothing a few stubborn hairs into place on Joey's head. It had been shaping up to be one of those days where a scheduling mishap had thrown both her and Castle into quite a scramble. She was scheduled to work the same time He'd had an important meeting with his publisher. Jim had agreed to take Gage off their hands, which had been perfect since Joey would be in school. Except that Joey had the day off and Kate had completely forgotten that minor detail. Now, it was too late to drive Joey out to Jim's home and Kate would have felt bad dropping both boys in his lap anyway when he had already graciously agreed to take Gage. So, Joey would be with Kate for a few hours until Castle got out of his meeting.

They stepped off the elevator. Kate's gaze swept the floor for Gates, but didn't see her yet. She straightened her shoulders. It didn't matter what Gates had to say; it's not like this was a regular occurrence. Gates would simply have to understand.

Joey shrugged off his backpack, dropping it against his mother's desk, and climbed into his father's usual chair. She handed Joey her phone, knowing that he knew how to operate the thing almost as well as she did, sadly. He knew which games were on there just for him and pulled one up.

"You won't be able to play on there the whole time, Goof." She gently informed him. "I'll need it back eventually so that battery doesn't get all used up."

"Ok." He murmured, already entranced in a counting game. She smiled at the sight of him and couldn't help but notice that he looked like her with his concentrated expression. She shook her head a little and turned her focus to the mountain of paperwork on her desk. Let the fun begin, she thought.

Joey's interest in the game didn't last beyond 20 minutes. Kate had made some headway in her work, but took a break to figure out what Joey could do next. "What if we colored?" She suggested.

"You can color with me?" He asked hopefully, a smile brightening his face.

"Yes, Goof, for a little bit." She grinned back. She needed a mental breather from her work anyway. His smile grew, causing his eyes to crinkle in the same adorable way that his father's did. God, he was just too cute. Kate grabbed some paper from her desk and dug through her assortment of pens to find the few colorful ones she possessed. Most were black and blue ink, but a few fun ones had weaseled their way in. Mostly because of Castle. They worked together on a drawing for a good while. It was relaxing for Kate and it kept Joey focused on a task. When it was finished, Kate told him she had to get back to her paperwork. Joey had smiled secretively and grabbed another sheet of blank paper.

"Don't look, Mommy. This next one is for you." He told her, using one arm to shield the paper from her sight.

By noon, she was feeling quite proud of her son for behaving so well. After her picture was finished, he'd proceeded to make some for Esposito and Ryan, sneaking them onto their desks while they were away. Then Joey had dug through his backpack, remembering the toys he'd stuffed in there this morning. With a few toy cars, he'd let his imagination take control. Kate had only had to shush him twice when the motor noises he made with his mouth got a little loud. When Gates finally did arrive, Joey was conveniently sitting under Ryan's desk, his toy cars running up the side of the hollow middle. She didn't notice.

Now it was lunch time and Kate became aware of the slight headache reminding her she hadn't had any coffee yet.

"How about we grab some food from the break room?" She asked Joey. He perked up at the mention of food. "Come on."

He ran ahead of her and encountered Ryan upon entering. He must have just got in.

"Is it bring-your-son-to-work-day? Because I didn't get the memo." Ryan teased Kate after greeting the boy. Kate rolled her eyes.

"I forgot he had the day off of school." Kate explained, rummaging through the fridge for her dinner leftovers from last night. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Rick should be here soon, assuming his publisher doesn't go overboard."

"Uncle Kevin, I drew you some pictures." Joey announced.

"You did?" Ryan grinned.

"Yeah, they're on your desk!" Joey smiled. Kate popped the food in the microwave and then proceeded to get herself some coffee.

"Beckett." Esposito poked his head into the break room. "We finally located our suspect in the Jensen murder. We're about to question him." He jerked his head to the side, gesturing for her to follow him and help with the interrogation. Her eyes flew to Joey.

"I'll watch him." Ryan offered.

"You're sure?" Kate hesitated. If there was one thing she hated to do, it was ask other people to watch her children. Even with family, she sometimes felt a little guilty pawning off the responsibility to someone else. They were her kids after all.

"Yeah. Of course." Ryan waved at her to go.

"Alright. Thank you. I'll be quick." Kate promised. She set some food in front of Joey. "Here, Goof. Mommy has to go work with Uncle Javi on something, but Uncle Kevin will stay with you."

Then she was rushing out of the break room with the despairing thought that she still hadn't gotten her coffee yet.

Kate had barely been gone five minutes when Ryan's phone went off. It was Jenny so he answered. However, given the hour, it was getting a little crowded in the break room and Ryan couldn't hear Jenny very well over the phone. He stepped out into the hall where he could still see Joey through the window. The conversation turned into a minor argument before long. Ryan rubbed his forehead tiredly and leaned against the wall outside the break room, taking his gaze off Joey momentarily as he tried to get his opinion across to Jenny.

Gates entered the break room and spotted the five-year-old sitting at one of the tables, eating his lunch quietly. He studied her curiously.

"Isn't anybody watching you?" She asked him pointblank. Joey sat a little straighter.

"No. I'm five." He held up one hand to help with his argument, all five fingers splayed apart. He took a bite of eggroll, eyes never leaving Gates as he returned her stare.

She moved to sit at the table across from Joey's table, the only vacant one available. The boy took another bite and swallowed. A hush had fallen over the break room once Gates had entered, an effect she was used to by now. Most watched her and Joey curiously.

"Why is your first name 'Iron'?" He asked suddenly. Her mouth dropped open a little.

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Castle jounced the fussy toddler in his arm and balanced a tray of two coffees in the other hand as he entered the 12th precinct. He'd picked up Gage first, figuring Gage's grandfather should probably be relieved of his babysitting duties sooner rather than later. Gage was a fairly well-behaved child, but he was still a handful nonetheless. Castle panned the room for Kate and spotted her exiting one of the interrogation rooms. Her face lit up at the sight of Castle and Gage.

"Hi, Monkey!" Kate stole Gage out of Castle's arms. He'd stopped fussing upon seeing his mother. "Oh, thank god!" She seized the cup of coffee from Castle and smiled appreciatively before taking a few swigs. "Oh, that's perfect." She sighed contently, then kissed Gage's cheek.

"Where's Joey?" Castle asked.

"He's –" She spun to look toward the break room. "Oh. Oh no."

Castle followed Kate's gaze to see Joey and Gates in the break room together.

"Ryan was supposed to be watching him." Kate said, obviously flustered.

The two walked quickly to the break room, set on rescuing their older son. Ryan was still on the phone and caught Kate's look as they rushed past him. Rick and Kate were both startled to hear Gates' laughter and exchanged curious glances right before entering.

Joey was standing on top of his seat, his hands reaching high as he demonstrated just how big the giraffes were that he saw at the zoo last week. He spotted his parents standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Daddy!" Joey grinned, sitting back down in his seat.

"Joey, Daddy's here to take you home. Go get your things." Kate instructed. Joey got to his feet and started to leave, but turned back to Gates.

"Goodbye, Iron!" He waved with a broad smile on his lips and then sped out of the room, passed his stunned parents. Gates was smiling. Actually smiling.

"That boy of yours," Gates said in a brighter tone than they were used to. "Is such a charmer."

"Yeah," Kate murmured. "He's – He…" It was a comment they got a lot about Joey and her usual response was to proudly point out that Joey took after Castle, but given Gates and Castle's … delicate relationship, Kate didn't think those words would have helped. "He is a charmer." She agreed lamely.

Kate turned to Castle, ready to make a hasty escape back to her desk. "I thought that was going to be much worse!" She whispered to her husband. It was strange the way Gates had interacted with Joey. It reminded Beckett of the one time Castle had been on Gates' good side.

"Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle." Gates called, her icy tone back in place. Kate froze. She'd spoken too soon. Iron Gates was back again.

They turned expectantly to Gates.

"As charming as your son is, don't think I didn't notice what happened today. Now, I'm willing to overlook it this time, but I sincerely hope you don't expect to turn my precinct into your own personal daycare." She said sharply.

"No, Sir. There was just a little – "

Gates held her hand up. "Save it. I've heard it all. Just see to it that it doesn't happen again, Detective."

Kate gave a curt nod and spun away slowly, giving Castle an exasperated look. They skirted away towards her desk.

"So…" Castle began, letting his mind work through what had just happened. "She hates me, but she likes Joey? She has to realize he's basically a mini-me, right?"

Kate shook her head. "I don't know." She smoothed Gage's rumpled shirt. "Ok, Monkey, you gotta go back to Daddy. Mommy still has to work."

"No!" Gage shook his head.

"Yes, Gagey." She said firmly. "I'll be home tonight, though." She kissed his cheek. "Have fun with Daddy."

Kate handed her youngest to Castle despite the boy's protests. Then she knelt down in front of Joey.

"Eskimo kisses!" He exclaimed. His little hands framed Kate's face and he brought his nose right up to hers. They bumped noses before Kate coaxed a hug out of the boy.

"I'm so proud of you." She murmured to him. "You were very well-behaved today, Joey."

He smiled sweetly at her words. "Can I come back again?" He asked innocently.

Kate's smile faltered. "You know, Goof, I would love to have you here with me all the time, but I'm afraid it's not really allowed. We got lucky today."

Joey digested this. Then Kate saw a grin work it's way across Joey's face. "I'll just ask Iron if I can come back. She'll let me."

Kate forced a smile and tried to think of what to say, since he clearly didn't realize Gates was the very reason he couldn't come. "Buddy, it doesn't really work like that. Captain Gates has to follow the rules."

Joey's eyes got a mischievous glint. "She likes me, Mommy. She'll say yes." He said confidently, all full of charm once more.

Castle stifled a laugh. Kate fought the urge to roll her eyes. He really was Castle's son after all. And that meant they were in for a world of trouble.

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	10. Midnight Snack

**A/N: THANK YOU for all the reviews/follows/favs! You guys are awesome!  
**

**This is a short but sweet chapter that takes place BEFORE Joey is born. Enjoy! :)  
**

* * *

He found her in the kitchen, illuminated by the faint light from the open refrigerator. He hadn't heard her leave the bed, but he figured it couldn't have been long ago if she was still debating what to eat. She had a slice of cold pizza in her hand and dug through a shelf with the other hand.

He came up behind her, slipping his arms around her and settling his hands on her stomach. She leaned back a bit, letting herself relax into his embrace.

"This is gross." She muttered. Puzzled, he asked what she was talking about.

"Pregnancy cravings." She admitted, taking another bite of her midnight snack.

"You're eating cold pizza." He pointed out. "That's possibly the most normal cravings I've heard of."

"Yeah, well, that's only because I stopped myself from smearing jelly all over the top of it."

He made a face that she could see with her peripherals and she playfully swatted him. "You have no room to judge. You make s'morlettes way too often. At least I can blame hormones." She pointed out.

"That's true." He conceded, burying his face into her neck for a moment. He let his air out in a huff and the sensation made Kate squirm as the hairs on her neck were tickled.

She finally settled on leftover cheesecake. Which wasn't even hers. Castle tried not to let his devastation show as she hungrily took a few bites.

"I hate this."

"Then you really shouldn't eat it all…"

"No, not the cheesecake. It's actually pretty good. I meant the cravings and the morning sickness which lasts all day and having to pee 24/7. I no longer believe women who say they enjoy this. This is miserable." She ranted. Castle listened, keeping his hands over her stomach. She wasn't showing yet, but everyday he could swear she got just a little bit bigger – although she'd kill him if he uttered that out loud. He was just so excited! He was loving every moment of this so far and they hadn't even gotten to the good parts yet. He tried not to let her words get to him, but her attitude was so very similar to another's that his next sentence betrayed his thoughts entirely.

"Meredith hated being pregnant, too."

Oh, God, had he just said that?

He felt her stiffen in his arms.

"I didn't mean –"

She turned to face him, her expression a mix of compassion and annoyance. Yes, only Kate Beckett could pull off that look. "Rick," She said a more pointedly than she intended. He actually flinched, feeling like he'd just pulled the pin on a grenade and let it drop. She inhaled sharply and let her feelings out in a huff. Then her hand reached up to brush his hair back and he felt his anxiety start to drain out of him. "I'm not like Meredith." She murmured, a touch of pity coloring her tone. Although the comment had initially stung, she was trying to see past it. She knew he was over the moon about the baby and she was too, but she was finding it harder to show it when she felt like she was going to hurl at any given moment. Maybe she needed to try harder because the last thing she wanted was for Castle to feel like history was repeating itself. Meredith had done a number him and Kate couldn't very well blame him for his wounded heart.

"I know, I don't know what I – "

He tried to explain himself, tried to fumble his way through an apology, but she was already silencing him.

"Listen." She was a little firmer this time. "I may hate being pregnant, but I already love this kid so much." Her voice started to soften upon mentioning of the baby and a tender smile started to show. "We spent almost a year of our lives trying to conceive and I'm thrilled that we finally did. So everything that's leading up to our baby's birth, all the fun symptoms that stand in the way of now and then are driving me up a wall."

Rick nodded, seeing her frustrations in a new light. Her point had come across clear, but she kept going because she wanted to make sure there wasn't a shadow of a doubt in his mind just how invested she was.

"So, don't ever think that once our kid is here, I'm going to want nothing to do him. I spent a year fighting for this kid. I want him."

He smiled and let his hands clasp around her back, knowing that she'd been way more gracious than he deserved considering he'd accidentally compared her with Meredith of all people. Especially given the delicate state of her hormones these days, this could have gone much worse. He pulled her a little tighter to him and he could _swear_ he felt a slight bump pushing back against him. Either that or he really was losing it.

"Or her." He couldn't help adding, noticing her use of the male pronoun earlier.

"No, it's gonna be a boy." She nodded curtly, her confidence not even slightly deterred.

He got that glint in his eye and his voice turned playful. "Are we making a bet?"

Kate bit her lip before standing on her toes and whispering right in his ear. "Loser changes the first fifty diapers."

"Deal."

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	11. A Call for Celebration

**A/N: THANK YOU for the continued interest in this story! It makes my day :) Also, I've decided to start adding dates to each chapter because the last thing I want is to confuse people. I may go back and update earlier chapters, too. I really should have done this since the beginning, but I didn't think of it. Anyway, the following list of dates will be posted before a new chapter to help as a reference. Additional dates may be added if they are significant, but for now, I think those are the only two you need to know.  
**

*****Chapters do NOT always go in order*** **

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

**June 20, 2017 - Gage was born  
**

**As always, enjoy! :)  
**

*****AUTHOR'S NOTE UPDATED 2-16-2013*****

**It was pointed out to me that I made an error with Kate's promotion. There are two ranks, Sergeant and Lieutenant, between detective and captain, so it is not at all plausible for Kate to go from detective to captain. I like to think that Kate is rather ambitious and on the show, she has been a detective for a while, so I've decided to go so far as to make her a Lieutenant by 2021 before the start of this chapter. Thank you to the anonymous reviewing for keeping me honest! :) **

* * *

**The Year 2021**

_Hey Babe, I'll be a little late tonight._

Castle read the text from his wife for the thirtieth time. It had come hours ago, when dinner was almost on the table and two little boys were griping about being hungry. Dinner had come and gone and there were no updates from Kate. Which was fine, Castle told himself. He'd spent enough time shadowing Kate to know the demands of her job. Still, she'd given him no context, nothing to tell how long she'd be. So, he'd gone on with the usual routine with the boys, but a feeling gnawed at his insides that something was off. Since becoming a mom, Kate was as diligent in her work as ever, but also considerate of her kids. If she was going to miss putting them to bed, she'd let Castle know in advance so the boys weren't left wondering if Mommy would be home before they went to sleep. After Joey and Gage had bathed, brushed their teeth, and put on pj's, it was time for books. Usually four books, but sometimes the boys got away with more since they were just as enthusiastic about stories before bed as Castle was. Although they loved when Kate read to them, there was no mistaking that they much preferred their father for this. When Castle settled onto the couch, Gage had already grabbed three books. Joey noticed how many Gage had and wanted just as many books of his own choice to be read.

"Whoa, boys." Castle shook his head, smiling in spite of himself. "I don't think I can handle six books tonight."

"Four?" Joey quickly jumped in with an offer, ready to bargain.

"Sure. Both of you put one back."

Gage quickly dropped one on the floor unceremoniously and climbed up next to Castle with his top choices while Joey considered his carefully.

"Five?" Joey tried weakly.

"No, buddy." Castle chuckled. "It's getting late. Just put one off to the side and we can read it tomorrow night."

Joey finally relented and sat on the other side of Castle, placing his choices in his dad's lap.

"Alright," Castle picked up one of Gage's. He opened it and began to read aloud as Gage's head fell against his arm. The boys' eyes were glued to the colorful illustrations as Castle's voice filled the room, taking on a different tone with each character along the way, engrossing both boys in the story further. They were quite a sight, all three huddled together on the couch and that was how Kate found them when she walked in the front door.

"Mommy!" Gage was the first one off the couch, running to meet her in the kitchen.

"Hi, Monkey!" She scooped him up, his arms and legs clinging to her tightly in typical Gage fashion. He held on so tight, she didn't even need to hold him.

Now Joey was at her side, burying his head into her side and trying to get a hug in, but Gage was making it difficult. Kate rubbed his back with one hand, giving him a half-hug.

Castle watched her curiously as he sauntered into the kitchen. There was something in the way she was smiling, the way her voice had an airy quality to it. And then there was whatever she was trying to hide behind her back.

"What's going on?" Castle asked, a half-smile playing at his lips and curiosity turning the gears wildly in his mind. She could see it, the way he'd caught on to something, and she wanted to continue this little dance, wanted to play with his insatiable curiosity a bit, but it was late and the boys needed to go to bed soon and if she was being brutally honest, she was all too excited to keep this to herself much longer. Wordlessly, she drew her arm out from behind her back to display a bottle of Champaign. Castle quirked an eyebrow.

"What are we celebrating?" Castle asked slowly, his mind racing with thoughts of what important events or anniversaries he could have possibly forgotten. She read his expression and laughed softly.

"Relax, Rick, you didn't forget anything." She took a deep breath, smiling excitedly, letting the moment build up a little.

"Well, lieutenant, I'd be very interested to know what's got you so…"

"Not lieutenant." She corrected him, seeing he'd given her a perfect lead-in. He stopped and puzzled over her words. "Captain."

Realization hit him like a slap across the face. "Captain?" He asked, his own smile beginning to match hers.

"Yes." She felt almost giddy now and the look of pride in her man's eyes didn't help any to calm her down. "You're looking at the new Captain of the 12th, effective once Gates moves up."

"That's great!" He threw his arms around her, sandwiching Gage between the two of them. Then he kissed her, letting her feel just how thrilled he was.

"Ew."

Gage's voice was in their ears and his little hands suddenly pressed their faces apart. They broke away rather reluctantly, but laughing.

"Come on, Rick." Kate handled him the bottle she'd picked up on her way home. "What do you say we pop this open and have a toast?"

With both hands free, she squeezed Gage extra tight and made him suffer through many kisses all over his face for interrupting her and Castle. He was laughing when she finally set his feet on the ground and knew there was no way he and Joey were getting to bed on time tonight, but it didn't matter. Tonight was special.

She grabbed two Champaign glasses from the cabinet and two small plastic cups. Castle gave her an inquiring glance.

"Just a little for the boys, too." She answered. Joey and Gage perked up. They'd probably hate it, but they didn't know it yet.

With everyone with a drink in hand, Castle raised his high. "To Captain Beckett."

The sound sent a chill down Kate's spine. It hadn't really sunk in until Castle said it.

Joey, doing his best to keep his expression serious, raised his free hand to his forehead and saluted Kate. "Captain Beckett!" He repeated in a gruff, militaristic voice. They laughed and clinked their glasses together. Kate took a sip and watched her boys follow her lead.

Gage's sour expression nearly made Castle choke on his drink. "Ugh!" Gage set his cup back on the counter. "That's yucky."

Joey was much more discrete in his distaste for the Champaign, but Kate noticed the fraction of a frown on his face and his subtle way of sliding the cup next to Gage's abandoned drink. Her eyes met Castle's and they shared a look that spoke volumes. Here, with their boys, they couldn't be happier celebrating Kate's news.

"Mom," Joey piped up. She turned to listen, her hand going to rest affectionately on top of his head while he looked up at her. "Are you going to read books with us?"

"I'd love to." She beamed. Before long, it was all four on the couch with Joey snuggled up next to Kate, who was tucked comfortably into Castle's side while Castle settled both Gage and the books in his lap. Castle glanced suspiciously at the pile in his lap.

"Ok, how come there are five now?"

Joey tucked his face against Kate's arm, struggling to not look guilty. Kate met Castle's gaze, silently pleading with him. He couldn't believe it. Kate was rarely the push-over, but tonight found Castle having to make the call.

"Alright, fine, we'll read five." He agreed.

"Yes!" Joey shouted.

"If Joey gets three, I want three." Gage piped up.

Castle sighed and Kate was all smiles. It was still a while before any of them got to bed.

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	12. What's in a Name?

**A/N: This chapter is all thanks to microgirl for giving me such a wonderful prompt! This is a 3-part chapter on the stories of how Gage got his name and how both boys got their nicknames (Goof and Monkey) from Kate. I loved writing this because I love names and I almost always will come up with middles names, but rarely find ways to incorporate those into a story and this chapter gave me that opportunity to share both boys' full names. Overall, I just had a lot of fun with this chapter. I'd love some feedback!  
**

*****Chapters are NOT always chronological***  
**

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

******June 20, 2017 - Gage was born**  


**As always, Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Gage - The Year 2017**

As soon as Joey was sleeping in his bed, Kate descended the stairs and began to hunt. It seemed inspiration always struck at the most inconvenient times – lately, when she was rocking Joey to sleep and had no way of putting her ideas anywhere. Her eyes fell upon the notebook on the corner of the coffee table. She grabbed the pen tucked in its spiral binding and flipped open to the page she needed, scribbling furiously the names she'd thought of before she could forget. Holding the notebook in her hand, she scanned the list and read over their choices so far. Not great. Poor kid.

Naming Joey had been so easy. From the get-go, it had been mutually agreed on Johanna for a girl and Joseph for a boy. Either way, her mother would get a namesake. And thus, she and Castle had settled the great big name debate within the first few weeks of her pregnancy. Simple. So simple.

But the second time around? Now that was proving to be a challenge. There was the long discussion of whether to name baby #2 after another family member and if so, who? They decided it was strange to name a child after someone already living, so they stuck with the deceased. But the thing was, none of their late grandparents had very – to put it nicely – _appealing_ names for today's generation. All of them guaranteed their kid would get a serious beating on the playground someday. Back to square one.

Then Martha had suggested giving the second child a name also starting with 'J'. Castle, being the lover of alliteration, had latched onto this idea and threw so many 'J' names at Beckett, her head was spinning. And then she remembered the family with 20 kids all given 'J' names and that was the end of that.

"Let's just look at regular names, with no restrictions or themes. Just look for names that you like." Beckett had finally said, grabbing a baby name book and tossing it at Castle. That was when Castle and Beckett realized just how different their naming styles were. Again, another clash.

While she was finding more traditional, timeless names to go with Joseph, Castle's imagination was going wild with whatever unique and elaborate names he could think of, largely inspired by literary characters. At the very least, his name choices sounded like they _should_ be characters in one of his stories. And he smugly pointed out that their son was never called by his full name, only ever 'Joey' so there was no need to try and fit their second child's name with Joseph.

Kate studied the list more carefully this time and really tried not to be critical of Castle's picks. He'd been on-board with naming Joey after her mom, so she really should cut him some slack this time. Still, she didn't want to be stuck with a name she hated. She may be slightly biased, but she loved the name Joseph Alexander Castle. Her son's name was so solid and his nickname suited him so well. She just wanted to feel the same way about this next baby's name. She wanted to get it right. She went to her laptop and pulled up a baby names website. Perhaps looking up more information on the names would help win her over. However, name after name didn't do a thing for her.

Lastly, she typed in G-A-G-E and hit enter.

She was surprised to find the name was French. She'd known it had a less-interesting English meaning, but in French, it meant 'oath' or 'pledge'.

"Huh." She mused, letting new feelings form around the name. Alright, that one wasn't horrible. She put a star next to it and left the list with her own additions for Castle to go over later.

"What's this?" Castle exclaimed that evening, drawing Kate's attention away from the book she was reading in bed. He held in his hand the piece of paper with their current ideas for baby names. "Kate Beckett actually approves of a name I chose? If I ever needed further proof that miracles still happen, here it is."

She rolled her eyes at his dramatics and tried to put her focus back into the story. He was grinning like a fool and she was sure he saw this as some sort of victory since he hadn't given his stamp of approval to any of _her_ names yet. "Relax, Rick, that just means I found one name that didn't make me cringe." She teased.

He held it up for her to see and pointed to the name. "You put a star next to it."

Ugh, he was so incorrigible sometimes.

"Alright, fine, I admit it. I like the name."

He wasn't even trying to hide the gloat now. She bit her lip in a sad attempt to mask her smile.

"But don't even get me started on the girl names you picked!" She deflected.

His smile faltered. "There's nothing wrong with my names. Yours, on the other hand…"

There were flying pillows and a few more verbal jabs at each other's choices before Castle turned the notebook over to a new page. "I'm starting a new list. It has one name so far. This list is only for ones we both agree on."

Kate rolled her eyes again. He was so loving this.

In the weeks that followed, a few more names made it onto the new list they'd started that night. And when their ultrasound revealed they were having a boy, it further narrowed their choices for them. Although she didn't want to admit it, Gage had grown on her. She could picture herself with a son named Gage. She even liked the way it sounded paired with Joey. And then there was the meaning of the name.

Oath was a powerful word. It was a word that was deeply rooted in their lives. Their wedding vows were an oath to each other. They'd made an informal oath as parents to raise Joey to see the good in people, to always give his best, and to seek the truth. Kate herself had taken an oath when she joined the force. It seemed that the deeper she looked, the more Kate felt drawn to the name. Gage. Gage Castle. Gage –

Struck with a sudden thought, Kate lunged for the pen, quickly jotted down her idea, and then soaked in it. "Rick!"

He found her on the couch with a proud glint in her eye. Wordlessly, she handed him the paper. He looked it over once, twice, a third time, then looked down at her and smiled. "It's perfect."

She sighed happily. They'd done it again. She rubbed her rounded stomach, now more than ready for their little boy to join them because they finally had a name.

Gage Montgomery Castle.

* * *

**Goof – May 2016**

It was just after 10 am and shaping up to be one of those luxuriously lazy Saturdays, the kind that only seemed to come around once a month or so, when there were no pressing appointments or errands to run and neither Castle nor Beckett had work obligations. Yes, it was a beautiful morning so far without a single item on the day's agenda. It was a day to be savored, that was for sure. And even though they couldn't sleep in – they had long ago discovered the impossibility of sleeping in once Joey arrived in their lives – they'd started the day with a grand breakfast of pancakes and eggs since they rarely had time for cooking much of anything in the mornings.

Now, they were contently milking a food coma. Castle was tucked into the corner of the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, with Beckett's head in his lap as she stretched out along most of the couch. The TV was on, but it wasn't really holding anyone's attention. Only their sixteen-month-old seemed to have energy. Castle watched him shift from one toy that he pulled out of the basket to another to yet another, each only managing to capture his focus for a little while. He was making quite a mess, but the beauty of today was they didn't have to worry about cleaning. Yet.

Kate was relishing every idle moment. She'd long since let her eyes drift shut as she pillowed against Castle. She heard a soft chuckle above her and contemplated checking out whatever it was Joey was doing, but the urge to keep the heavy curtain over her eyes was too strong.

"Kate." Rick called softly to her, his fingers tickling her spine.

"Hmm?" She hummed.

"You gotta see this."

At his words, she forced her eyes open again and stared blankly at the spot Joey had been just moments before. She propped herself up on one elbow to get a better view and that was when she saw it.

Joey. In her boots.

The resulting smile was instantaneous as she took in the sight of her son staggering around the apartment in four inch heeled boots that went all the way up his chubby legs.

"I don't know why we pay for cable. This kid of ours is way more interesting." Castle mused.

"He's going to kill himself in those." Kate murmured. "Baby, be careful!" She said a little louder. Joey looked up at her with his devilish green eyes and only grinned. At least he was using the table for balance. When he was in reach, Kate looped an arm around his belly and tugged him up onto the couch. His legs slid out of the boots instantly.

"You are so silly." Kate said in her lyrical voice that only came out around Joey. He scrunched up his nose, giving her his trademark funny-face. "Goofball." Kate ruffled his hair. He really was the biggest goofball of a baby boy she'd ever met. And she was sure that was in no short amount due to Castle. Joey was funny and he knew it. He knew how to work a crowd into laughter with just one look. Kate couldn't wait until he started talking because she was certain most of what would come out of Joey's mouth would be gold.

"What do you want to do today, Love?" Castle wondered. Kate tickled Joey's neck as she thought and smiled softly at the boy's choked back laughter that awkwardly escaped.

"I don't know. Goof? What do you want to do?" She poised the question, not really expecting a reply from her sixteen-month-old. He grinned, giving her a glimpse of his perfect little teeth, and buried his head in her side.

"Hmm. You want to just stay on the couch all day?" Beckett jokingly interpreted Joey's actions. "Now you're thinking." She squeezed Castle's knee affectionately. "I'd be ok with that, too."

* * *

**Monkey – The Year 2018**

There were days when – despite her best efforts – Beckett couldn't get a single thing done with two little boys in the house. And there was no chance of tag-teaming tonight since Castle was out of town.

She was in the kitchen, standing next to the counter as she attempted to dice tomatoes. She eyed her three-year-old warily as he sat –for now – watching one of his shows. Five minutes ago, she had found him coloring his desk in his room. Not coloring _on_ his desk like he was supposed to, but coloring the actual desk itself. She would be watching him like a hawk even if it meant dinner would take longer than usual to make. She was not losing any more furniture tonight to the hands of a marker-happy toddler.

She was so fixated on food and Joey that she'd almost forgotten Gage – and that was only because her one-year-old son was more attached to her than Joey had ever been. Wherever she was in the house, he was never very far from her and she'd become so used to the feeling of him clinging to her legs that it almost didn't register anymore. Such as now, as her gaze flitted from Joey to the tomatoes and back to Joey, she was only acutely aware of Gage's presence at her feet. He was whining and calling for her and it was slowly building in fervor as the time passed, but it wasn't until Kate felt Gage wedge himself between her and the cabinets that he took her full attention.

"I'm almost done." She calmly told him, reaching down to stroke his hair to let him know he'd been heard. His little hands were reaching as high as he could stretch them, demanding to be held. "I know, Honey, but it'll only be a little longer." Kate told him, feeling frustration edge its way into her tone. Her phone rang, but she wouldn't even go near it where it rested on the counter behind her. Her attention was being pulled in enough directions as it was.

"Momma!" Joey stood up on the couch and turned around to face Kate.

"What, Baby?" She asked, sneaking Gage a bit of tomato to see if that would quell his fit if only for a moment. He held it in his hand, staring at it, silently debating to eat it or not.

"Your phone is ringing!" Joey announced urgently.

"I know, Goof. Thank you for telling me, though." She watched him leaning against the top of the couch and could just see him flipping over the edge any moment now. "Sit back down, please."

Joey sighed, sunk back onto the cushions, and kicked his feet in the air. "I'm hungry."

_So am I_, thought Kate. "We'll eat soon, Buddy." She promised, although she wasn't entirely sure how truthful it was. She felt Gage's hands on her jean-clad thighs and then perceived dampness on one side. Wonderful. Tomato.

Then Gage's hands were wrapping themselves around her belt and his feet stepped on top of hers. No. Was he –?

Kate looked down to see Gage's back pressed firmly against the cabinet, hands tightly gripping her belt, and feet starting to scale her legs. He was climbing her.

Letting out an exasperated laugh, Kate grabbed her determined son before he slipped and pulled him up to settle on her hip. "You are the most frustrating little monkey-boy I've ever known." She told him, knowing he didn't understand and keeping her tone light. "But I love you very much."  
If she was being completely honest, she wasn't always fond of Gage's incessant need to be held by her, but she would say this about her younger boy; he would crawl, walk or apparently even climb any distance to get to her. She knew she was his favorite thing in this whole world and that did feel pretty good.

She shifted him in her arm as she tried to continue with dinner with one free arm. Gage must have felt like she was intending to put him down because his arms tightened around her neck as his fists clenched around her shirt and his feet dug into her side. She gazed down at him, amused.

"Don't worry. You're not going anywhere, you little monkey." She reassured him. He kept his serious blue eyes glued to her as if he didn't believe her, but then his grip relaxed and one little hand found its way to Kate's hair. She felt the familiar sensation of tiny fingers fiddling and twirling with strands of her hair. And then she remembered. Tomato. She probably had it on the back of her shirt, too.

She choked back a sigh and gazed at the innocent face of Gage, which was a perfectly handsome blend of the Beckett bone structure and Rick's eyes and nose and her mother's smile. What was she going to do with this little momma's boy who loved her so fiercely?

It was as if he could read her thoughts and was trying to lay it on thick. Gage titled his head to the side and kissed her shoulder before nestling his head against her. God, he was such a honey!

She rested her head gently on top of his, inhaling the sweet scent of his baby shampoo. "I love you, too, Monkey."

* * *

**Just a few things: **

**As far as Gage's name, I'm ashamed to admit I honestly don't remember how/why I gave him that name in the first place. However, when I was given this idea, I did a little more digging on the name and that's when I discovered the french meaning of the name, which I LOVED! That part practically wrote itself. I liked the name to begin with (obviously), but I'm more attached to it now having written this chapter and I hope everyone reading this feels a little more attached to it as well! **

**Also, before writing this chapter, I'd never considered how Joey got his nickname. It just fit his personality and I wrote it in one day and it stuck. So that was fun thinking of how Kate would have come up with the special nicknames for her boys. **

**Lastly, this chapter was heavily from Kate's perspective and I've noticed a bunch of other chapters are as well. I realized Castle has been underutilized and it's a shame on my part. So... stay tuned for next chapter, focusing on the three Castle 'men'.  
**

**Reviews! :)  
**


	13. Make Believe

**A/N: I want to start by saying I'm sorry I teased the next chapter and forgot to post it before I went on vacation! Didn't mean to make you all wait that long! I had so much fun with this chapter about Castle and his sons. It has definitely inspired further chapters of the like, but I always love feedback and prompts also! So don't be shy about those reviews! **

*****Chapters are NOT always chronological***  
**

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

**********June 20, 2017 - Gage was born**

*****For what you are about to read, I apologize if I went a little... overboard...**

**You'll understand. Just read. Enjoy. **

* * *

**The Year 2024**

"Avast, me hearties, there's trouble ahead!"

"Aye, Cap'n! What be yer orders?"

Castle did his best to suppress the laughter that bubbled up inside. When the Castle boys played make-believe, it was with every once of imagination they could muster.

"Ready the cannons!" The young captain shouted. "We'll beat them, the filthy scalawags!"

Castle tugged his eye patch into place and peered over his 'ship' made out of couch cushions. Joey and Gage were already imitating cannon fire. It was time to retaliate.

"Yarr! What bilge-swimmin' landlubbers be attackin' me ship!" Castle growled, waving a plastic sword. "Show yerself!"

A black tri-fold hat with skull and crossbones imprinted on it rose out of the giant cardboard box. Underneath it, the face of a nine-year-old who had insisted on coloring one of his front teeth black so it looked like it was missing. "Ahoy! I'm Cap'n Dagger! And this be me first mate…"

Joey reached down and grabbed Gage by the arm, making the younger boy stand and show himself. Gage pointed a toy monocular at his father and looked through it. "Arr!" He growled. Joey waited for Gage to give his name, but the boy was too invested in the 'ship' and all its toys. Castle caught on and interjected.

"Ahoy, Laddie! What be yer name?"

Gage took a deep breath and his face went blank for a moment as he scrambled to think of a name. "Uh… Scurvy!" He exclaimed. "Scurvy Hawkins."

Joey smacked his palm into his forehead. "Gage, Scurvy isn't a name! It's a disease pirates got from not eating enough oranges!"

"I know!" Gage argued. "But I like it. My name is Scurvy Hawkins."

Joey sighed and shook his head. "Fine."

The boys turned back to their dad, who was desperately trying to keep a straight face. "They call me Scowlin' Hugo Hatchetback, the fiercest pirate on the high seas!" Castle said, contorting his face into what he was sure was a hideous scowl.

This got giggles out of Joey and Gage.

"Oh ye think tha's funny? Ye won't be laughin' when me ship destroys yers!" Castle mimed loading a cannon that he imagined was propped on the top of the cushion and firing it, making a loud boom with his mouth.

"Ahh!" Joey and Gage ducked down into the box. Soon, little fingers appeared in the cut-outs they'd made in the box. Blasting sounds ensued for several minutes, complete with insults and growls and only one outburst between the boys in which they broke character because Joey had accidentally kneed Gage in the stomach and Gage got mad.

"First Mate Hawkins –"

"Scurvy" Gage interjected. Joey rolled his eyes.

"Can ye see that scalawag Hatchetback? He's been too quiet."

"Nay, Cap'n. He must be dead!" Gage cheered.

"Shh!" Joey hushed. He peered out one of the many holes. There'd been no movement from their dad's ship in a while. "Ahoy! Hoist a white flag if ye surrender! Or else ye'll be forced to walk the plank!"

No response. Joey looked over at Gage as the two sat scrunched in their cardboard box of a ship. Gage shrugged. "Maybe Daddy fell asleep?" Gage whispered.

"Never!" Came a loud reply as Castle jumped up from where he'd crawled over to the back of the box. He grabbed the edges and shook it wildly as both boys screamed.

"Get back!" Joey slashed his sword and struck Castle's knuckle.

"Ow!" He withdrew his injured hand and drew his sword with the other. "Curses on yer ship, ye lily-livered sea bass! Surrender!"

"Don't let him aboard the ship!" Joey hollered. Gage jumped up, sword in hand.

"Aye aye, Cap'n!"

Gage swung at Castle and the two battled with the plastic swords. Joey stood up and then it was two against one. Joey knocked Castle's sword out of his hand.

"Aha! Surrender now and we won't kill you!"

Castle grinned wickedly. "Yarr! I've still got me dignity! Ye haven't beaten me yet!" And with that, Castle ducked and pushed against the box, tipping it over. Joey and Gage tumbled out of it, half-laughing, half-yelling.

"It's sinking!" Gage cried dramatically.

"We must avenge our ship!" Joey told Gage, getting to his feet and rushing to the stacked cushions.

"And we'll plunder yer booty, too!" Gage yelled to Castle over his shoulder as he followed Joey.

Castle watched in amusement as Joey leapt onto the make-shift pirate ship and collapsed the cushions with his weight. Gage followed suit, nearly landing on top of his brother and laughing as they both rolled off the cushions onto the floor.

"Avast! Me ship is destroyed by ye yellow-bellied landlubbers!" Castle cried in despair.

The front door swung open and all three pirates turned to see Kate walk in with two bags of what Castle assumed was Chinese takeout. She froze, immediately noticing the giant box with holes cut out and a black flag taped to the back of it and the couches without cushions because the cushions were piled in the corner. And then, of course, there were the two boys and overgrown man-child decked out head-to-toe in pirate gear.

"Arr! Me fearsome Cap'n Beckett has returned!" Castle cheered. "Ye bilge-rats better run than face th' wrath o' me cap'n! Savvy?"

Beckett's brows rose to her hairline over the way Castle was talking.

"Nay!" Joey growled, jumping to his feet and grabbing his sword. He charged Beckett.

"Quick! Arm yerself, Lass!" Castle tossed Beckett his sword from his spot on the ground. She caught it just in time to block Joey's first swing.

"Ye don't scare me!" Joey exclaimed. "I'm Cap'n Dagger!"

Their swords were locked together, both pushing against each other. Kate leaned in close to her son's face. Joey watched her, anticipating a comeback.

"Wash your hands. It's time for dinner."

Joey's shoulders sagged and his sword fell to his side. "Aw, Mom!" He whined. "You're supposed to talk like a pirate!"

"Yeah!" Castle echoed from his spot on the floor. Beckett shot him a look.

Amusingly, Gage seemed to be the only one of her men not disappointed with her because he was already climbing onto his seat and trying to peer into the bags of food.

"Wash your hands first, Gage!" Kate caught him off-guard, evoking a guilty smile out of the boy as he slid off his seat.

"You boys might want to change out of those clothes, too, so you don't get them dirty." Castle pointed out.

Joey and Gage raced upstairs to their room, leaving Kate alone with her husband, who had finally mustered the energy to get off the floor and stand.

"What's that look for?" He asked her, catching her smile.

"Nothing." Came her quick reply as she grabbed plates from the cabinet and set them on the counter. "I see the costumes arrived."

He grinned boyishly. "Aren't they great?"

He'd been all too excited when he'd ordered them, but wouldn't tell the boys about them because they were a surprise. Kate was a little disappointed she'd missed seeing the boys' reactions, although coming home to their reenactment was priceless.

She came around to the same side of the counter as him and looped her arms around his waist, pulling him snug against her.

"Ok, _really_, what is that look for?" Castle pressed, his own arms going around her.

"I was just thinking about how wonderful you are with our boys." She told him, bumping her nose against his. "Their days are filled with creativity and imagination and fun and I can see how good it is for them." She pulled back slightly, enough to see those baby blues looking back at her with so much love. He was truly touched by her words and he let her know just how much as his lips found hers.

In the days when his boys were babies, he had worried that he wouldn't do as well the second time around as he had with Alexis. He'd been so young when she was born and he'd grown up right along with her in certain ways. Although he liked to think he was always young in spirit, he had his doubts that the boys wouldn't get the same vibrant upbringing. But what he now realized about raising boys later in life was that they kept him young at heart despite the inevitable marching on of time. Sure, there was definitely nights when he collapsed into bed, bone-weary from chasing after the boys all day long, but more often than not, Joey and Gage kept him on his toes, bringing out the same lively side to him that Alexis had always known. "Yeah, well, they make it easy for me." Castle murmured after they pulled back.

Kate shook her head a little at the way he shied away from her compliment. As egotistical as she knew him to be, he never felt that proud of his parenting skills and she often wondered why. How could he not see the profound impact he had on his children's lives?

She titled her face up and brought her lips to his again. They heard footsteps on the stairs, but didn't pull apart right away. It wasn't anything their boys weren't used to seeing.

"Did you get eggrolls?" Joey asked, starting to dig through the cartons.

"Of course." Kate assured him, helping him set out all the food. She looked across the counter at her younger son. "Gagey, I think you forgot something."

Joey and Castle looked at Gage and chuckled a little, taking in the way the boy was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt… and a pirate headscarf still snug around his head.

"What?" Gage asked. He looked at his mother, who tapped her head. Gage reached up and felt the fabric. "Oh. yeah…" He smiled sheepishly and pulled it off and set it next to his plate. "I forgot it was part of a costume." He admitted. Joey roared with laughter.

"Do I even want to know what Joey put on his tooth to make it black?" Kate whispered to Rick.

"Probably not."

"I figured." She said wryly as she opened more cartons of food for the boys to dig into, marveling at how wonderful it was to never have a dull moment with her men.

* * *

**I tried to reign in the pirate talk... honestly I did! I sincerely hope it wasn't an annoyance, it was meant to add amusement and once I started, I couldn't stop! I immersed myself in pirate lingo websites for HOURS! Anyways, thoughts?! :) **


	14. After Twenty Years

**A/N: I started this chapter back in December, intent on having it ready for posting by January 9. As you can see, that didn't happen. In addition to being on winter break, I struggled with writing a few parts of this chapter. But I'm glad I didn't rush it because it wasn't ready by then and coming back to it a little later with fresh eyes helped me finish it. I'd like to think that by 2019, Johanna's case has been resolved, but I decided to not put any of those details into this chapter, because I know AWM will create a better ending to that than I could ever attempt. **

**A huge thanks to everyone following this story! You guys are awesome! As always, enjoy! :) **

*********Chapters do NOT always go in order*** **

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

**June 20, 2017 - Gage was born**

* * *

**January 9, 2019**

It was still dark when Kate awoke with a heavy heart on the snowy January morning. She rolled over slowly and gazed at her sleeping partner, feeling her heart flutter just a bit at the overwhelming notion that she got to wake up to him beside her every morning. Had it really been less than ten years since he'd waltz his way into her life and forged their unlikely partnership? It seemed like she'd had him for an eternity – in a good way – and yet on January 9, 2009, she'd stood alone at her mother's grave, ever the lost soul she was in those days.

She slid closer to Rick, seeking his warmth on this chilly morning. He was deep asleep, but his arm still slid around her waist when his body sensed her presence. Even in his sleep, he welcomed her. She stayed there for a while, indulging in the familiar comfort of Rick. She drifted in and out of sleep, now unaware of how much time had passed, and grew restless, needing to move and stretch. She knew Rick wasn't ready to get up at such an ungodly hour so she carefully pulled away from him, pressing the covers closer to him in a sad attempt to replace her warmth. He didn't stir and she quietly crept around the room, finding clothes for the day. When she was dressed, she started a pot of coffee and stole upstairs while it brewed. Gage's room was the first one she reached. She found him curled up in one corner of the crib, his cheeks flushed from sleep and his little fists bawled tightly around his favorite blanket and his wispy brown hair fanned across his face. A small smile played at her lips as she gently reached down and pushed Gage's hair back from his precious face. At eighteen months of age, He desperately needed a haircut, but she'd been putting it off. Kate hadn't given Joey's first haircut a second thought, but the moment it was done, she looked at Joey and no longer saw a baby, but a toddler. She wasn't ready for that moment with Gage yet.

It was too hard to give Gage a kiss while he was in the crib, so instead Kate gently stroked his feathery cheek with her thumb and made a promise to give him his morning kiss later. Then she left as quietly as she'd entered and made her way to Joey's room. It seemed she always found Joey sleeping in the strangest positions. This time, his covers were bunched at the bottom of the bed, his feet were off the bed and pressed high against the wall, leaving his upper body on a 45° angle across the bed and his head almost hung over the other side of the bed. She let a soft laugh escape her, knowing that if sleeping in that position didn't wake Joey, nothing would. Then she carefully slipped a hand under his neck and one in the crook of his knees and shifted him so his head once again rested on the pillow and his body was centered in the bed – although, probably not for long. She pulled his covers back over him and smoothed his short, bristly brown hair. She softly kissed his cheek and allowed herself one more moment of drinking in the sight of her sweet boy.

Then she crept out of the room and down the stairs, drawn by the scent of fresh coffee. With her travel mug in hand, she slipped out unnoticed into the early morning bustle of her city. It wasn't too long of a drive to the cemetery, especially given the hour. As she got out of her car and walked, her feet crunched in the snow. It was quiet and still and the fresh snow from last night added a certain touch of tranquility. Although it was the usual chilly January temperature, the sky was clear and bright with the sun beginning to rise. It was probably the nicest January 9th Kate could recall.

Her mother's headstone was at last in sight and she halted in front of it. A blanket of snow covered the top. Kate gingerly brushed it off and then ran her hand over the front of the headstone, tracing her mother's name. "Vincit omnia veritas." She said softly, repeated the Latin etched in the stone. Latin for 'truth conquers all'. For many years, it had been a message of hope in the dire circumstance of Johanna's unsolved murder. As the years wore on,Kate felt like the words were taunting her, laughing at her. But then they'd finally gotten justice. Truth _had_ conquered all. And now, the words were a victory banner over Johanna's final resting place.

Kate crouched down and placed the flowers she'd brought at the foot of the stone. Usually, if it wasn't snowy, she'd kneel there, but in addition to the snow, Kate was getting older and kneeling didn't sound at all appealing.

It was one of the many ways Kate was starting to feel the passing of twenty years. She'd spent countless hours on this very ground as a girl of 19 and onward. It was strange to think she'd been so young the last time her mother had seen her. If by some sort of magic, Kate was given a day with her mother, she wondered if Johanna would even recognize her or if she'd like the changes she'd see.

Kate let her mind drift back to the Thanksgiving before she lost her mom, when she was home for the first time since attending Stanford. Kate had been overwhelmed with classes, and drama with friends, and trouble with a boy, and she couldn't see how it was going to get easier. She shook her head now at the notion that those had been her biggest worries in life. It seemed so petty now, especially considering what chapter came next in her life. Nevertheless, Johanna had been sympathetic. She looked Katie straight in the eye and simply said life never gave them anything they couldn't handle.

And after she was gone, Kate felt like life was telling her Johanna had been wrong. Like it was some sick joke. But now Kate knew her mom had been right all along. She wiped away the stray tear that had escaped down her cheek and sighed.

Kate may be very different from the girl her mother knew, but she felt she'd become exactly who she was meant to be. Her job was tough, but she knew it was what she made to do. And the dark days that Kate went through can't stand up to the days she spends with her three best guys.

_I wish you could've met them, Mom._ She found herself thinking._ You'd have loved Rick. _She couldn't stop the smile that crept across her face, picturing how her mother and her husband would have got along. _And Joey and Gage, I can't even put it into words how much they mean to me. I'm so completely in love with those two boys. You'd adore them, I know you would._

Kate sighed, feeling the loss so much deeper when she thought about her sons. Her heart hurt every time she dwelled on the fact Joey and Gage would never know her mom. She told Joey stories all the time about her mom and he loved it, but it wasn't remotely the same. Another rogue tear made its trek down her face and this time, Kate let it be. She wondered if her mom would have been proud of her, if she would have liked the mother Kate had become. Would Kate have been a different mom to her boys if her own mother were around to help and offer advice? Kate shook her head as a third tear escaped. No. She wouldn't dwell on the 'what if's. It was too painful and never led to any good, she reminded herself.

But her mom had been right. Life never did throw more at her than she could handle. At times, she had wanted to give up so bad, but she couldn't without first bringing Johanna justice. And by the time Kate had, she'd found someone so annoyingly dear to her heart. Castle saved her in so many ways and gave her two precious boys that filled her life with so much joy. It had taken a while, but Kate was at peace. And she knew that if Johanna could speak to her, this would be the time she would give Kate that sure smile and say 'I told you so'.

Kate still missed her mom – she always would – but the pain wasn't so sharp now. All it took was time. And love. And a little bit of truth.

Kate only stayed a little longer. It was cold and she was feeling the pull to go home to her men. She walked away with a heart not as heavy as before. Since Joey, it had been hard for the death of her mother to loom over her during the dreary winter. He was her January baby, born a mere two days after the anniversary of her mother's death. She liked to think it was a sign that it was ok to find happiness again – because having Joey in her life was the happiest, most humbling gift she'd ever received. Kate shook her head and smiled, thinking of how she sounded a little like Castle now with talk of signs and fate. Whatever the case, Kate was so glad Joey had arrived when he did. Each year with him and Gage was a constant reminder to live in the present and love like there was no tomorrow, and Kate knew living by that notion would have pleased her mother above all else.

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**This chapter happened because I liked the notion of Kate reflecting on how much she had changed in 20 years and what her mother would have thought of those changes, especially with Kate being a cop and a mother. Reviews are always appreciated! :) **


	15. Enough For Now

*****SPOILERS FOR 5x15 AND 5x16*****

**Wow. Where do I even begin? I didn't plan on this chapter. It happened in the middle of the night as I tried to process the awesomeness of last night's episode. Because I spend most of my creative time on this story at the moment, I started thinking about how the reveal of Castle's father would impact him in the future as he has two sons with Beckett. This chapter was the result. Again, I wrote this last night and I usually like to spend more time on a chapter than I did with this one, so feel free to point out any errors I made.  
**

*****Chapters do NOT always go in order*** **

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

******June 20, 2017 - Gage was born**

**As always, enjoy! :) **

*****UPDATED on 3/9/13 - Just a few tweaks here and there. I did rush the chapter so I added more to it after it'd been posted.**

* * *

**February 18, 2025 **

Castle hung up the phone with a smile. Although they didn't often talk about the events of this day twelve years ago, Castle always made a point to drop whatever it was he was doing and call Alexis. She was three hours away in Baltimore, but the distance had never stopped him from keeping his little girl close. They were always in touch, but this day more than anything was a reminder that life was unpredictable and there was no good reason not to call.

It didn't matter that she was thirty one and married. To him, he'd forever see a pint-sized redhead with a laser tag gun that was almost too big for her to hold. To this day, he'd stop at nothing to protect her just as he'd done twelve years ago. A parent's love never diminishes through the years. If anything else, it grows.

So he'd called her, felt his heartbeat settle once her cheery voice came over the line, and then proceeded to listen about work and Cole and how she wanted to visit soon because it had been too many weeks since she'd seen everyone. He'd smiled and agreed that a visit would be good. She'd asked about Beckett and the boys and his writing. They'd talked long enough to feel like the three hour distance wasn't far at all. When they wrapped up the call, Castle felt like his heart was full. Nothing in the world quite compared to having a daughter. Even thirty one years into this experience, he still felt the same mix of love and joy and utter terror for her well-being. Perhaps even more so now than when she was born. She sure did a number on his heart.

Now, there was no denying that the bond between a father and his daughter was something special, but there was also something to be said about the bond between a father and his son. And it was only within the last ten years that Castle could really understand that relationship – and only from a father's side of it. For so many years, he'd been fatherless. And even after he'd met his father, he walked away not even knowing the man's real name. Since then, there had been a book here and a secret message there, but never another meeting. It was unsatisfying, but Castle knew why it had to be that way. In truth, since learning of his dad and having two sons of his own, he wondered how his father could stand it. Castle was so in love with his three children. He simply couldn't get enough of them. The thought of watching them from a distance, never knowing what it was like to hold them, to feel them fall asleep against him while he read to them, or to have silly or heart-felt conversations with them made Castle cringe. It would never be enough for him to see their life pass by without reaching out to them. Alexis, Joey, and Gage were his whole world.

Having sons especially turned his thoughts more to the mysterious man from years ago. He'd be playing cops and robbers with his boys and wonder if his father would have wanted to do the same with him once upon a time. It wasn't that Castle felt gypped, it was more of a curiosity than anything else. He knew how much he loved his children – far beyond any means of measure – and it was strange to wonder if his father would feel that for him.

And when Castle would reach that thought, he'd usually pull away from his reverie and think on something else. The next thought to follow was usually a resolve that no matter what, his own children would never go a single day without knowing their father's love.

The front door swung open and Kate ushered the boys inside. She'd taken them with her that afternoon to run some errands. Joey bounded in and flung himself onto the couch, leaving Kate and Gage to deal with the groceries. Castle was about to tell him to get his lazy butt off the couch and help when he caught sight of what was in the boy's hand.

"Joey, what is that?" He asked.

Joey held up the book. "Live and Let Die. It's a James Bond book!"

Castle grinned. "Did you pick that up at the library?"

"Well, sort of. When we were there, some guy just _gave_ it to me! Can you believe that?" Joey said in excited disbelief.

Castle's smile faltered. Maybe it was the anniversary of Alexis' kidnapping that caused his mind to jump straight to his father and Castle's encounter with him at the library. His eyes flew to Beckett. She knew the story. She had to know this was him. Why else would she let Joey take a book from a stranger?

He could see the recognition in her eyes. "I didn't see him." She murmured, leaving the bags of food on the counter to come closer to him. "I was helping Gage find something and I knew Joey was over in the next few rows. He came running up to me with this big smile on his face and that book in his hand."

Castle turned his gaze to the book. "Joey, can I look at it?" He asked hastily.

"Rick…" Kate's tone said it all. Don't get your hopes up.

He couldn't help it. As soon as it was in his hands, he was flipping open the cover and scouring it for some sort of message or maybe a note tucked between pages. With a sinking feeling in his chest, Castle realized there was nothing. Just the book.

Kate's hand was on his back, offering solace. She knew it was hard for him. He had so many questions, so much he was holding in as he waited for his chance to talk to Hunt again. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, gathering his wits.

"It's a very nice book, Joey." Castle handed it back. The boy grinned from ear-to-ear.

The book itself was the message. He was still alive. He was still watching over them. That would have to be enough for now. "Was he a nice man?" Castle suddenly wanted to know. To his knowledge, this was his son's first encounter with Castle's father and he'd like to know how it went.

"Yeah. He was old, but he was pretty cool. He knows a lot about mystery novels. He said this series is his second favorite of all time, but that his favorite is the Derrick Storm series. Isn't that funny, Dad? You're his favorite author and he didn't even know he was talking to your son."

"That is funny." Castle agreed as his throat suddenly constricted from emotion. He moved to sit down next to Joey on the couch, acutely aware of Kate's concerned gaze following him.

"So I told him." Joey continued. "I said that my dad was Richard Castle. He was excited and asked me to tell you that he's been reading your books for a long time and he's still a really big fan of your work." Joey looked puzzled for a moment. "I just realized he never gave me his name."

"Maybe he was too excited about meeting his favorite author's son." Kate supplied. She and Castle shared a look.

"I guess." Joey shrugged. Castle bumped his shoulder against Joey's.

"You know, I read the whole James Bond series for the first time when I was about your age."

Joey nodded. "I remember you said that when we read Casino Royale together."

Castle smiled. "That's right. Do you want to read this book together, too?"

"Yeah. Can we start it after dinner?" Joey asked.

"You bet." Castle reached over and ruffled the boy's hair. "But if we want to have dinner, somebody needs to help their mother and brother and father put the groceries away."

He didn't miss teasing glint in Joey's eye. "Yeah, Gage, quit being a slacker!" He hollered at his younger brother. Gage looked up from his spot on the counter where he was stacking the applesauce cups into a pyramid and glared at Joey.

Castle grabbed a pillow off the couch and whacked Joey with it.

"Ok, ok, I'll help with the groceries." The boy conceded.

Later that evening, Castle tucked a bookmark between the pages of Joey's new book, despite the boy's begging for 'one more chapter'.

"There's always tomorrow, Joey." Castle told him as Joey trudged up the stairs to bed. Then he turned his gaze to his younger son who'd fallen asleep on the couch two chapters ago. He lifted Gage and carried him to his room. Then he checked on Joey to make sure he was really going to sleep. A part of him expected Joey to be up for at least one more hour with the book and a flashlight. After all, he'd never been able to resist reading under the covers into the early morning hours when he was a kid. And then, because of the events of today, Castle wondered if his father had been the same way. Someday, he'd tell Joey and Gage about their grandfather. It was too thrilling a story to keep from them. What boy wouldn't want to hear their grandfather was a spy and he'd rescued their adored older sister from the clutches of a deadly Russian? He'd tell them soon so Joey would remember the man from the library as his grandfather. Not that Joey was going to forget the kind act any time soon, but Castle would tell him in the near future anyway.

"What are you thinking about?" Kate's voice startled him out of his thoughts as he walked into the bedroom. He joined her on the bed, propping one elbow up as he laid on his side.

"I was thinking that it's not fair that he gets to control when and how to make contact."

"Your father?"

He nodded. "I mean, I get it. He's a spy." Castle still felt a little ridiculous every time he said it. His dad was a spy. It was a little hard to wrap his head around to this day. Spies always seemed like something of a fantasy, something you find in books.

Books.

Castle jumped up, leaving Kate to call after him in his hasty exit.

He sprinted to his laptop, flipped it open and pulled up the file for the dedication of his most recent manuscript. His father wasn't the only one who got to leave messages. He cleared what he'd written – a nice note to Kate – and started over.

_To the enigmatic Mr. Hunt_

_For all the support_

_Over the years_

_And for inspiring me to write _

_In the first place._

_Thank you. _

Castle scanned what he'd typed. It wasn't much, but it got the message across. It was enough. For now.

* * *

**Reviews please! I'd love to know what you thought. Also, I made mention to Alexis' husband, who I had planned on introducing soon as her boyfriend, but given the timeline of this story, you get to know that she marries him. Oh well ;) And geez, this chapter was fun and difficult to write at the same time, trying to get inside Castle's head and extract his feelings from a son's standpoint and a father's as well. And he's such a good father, I can't even! ... Anyways, that's my rant. Thoughts?!**


	16. Mothers and Sons

**A/N: Just a quick thanks to everyone following this! And thank you for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! Since I don't give the character of Martha nearly enough love in this fic, here's some Martha/Kate/Joey bonding! Enjoy! :) **

*****Chapters do NOT always go in order*** **

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

******June 20, 2017 - Gage was born**

* * *

**February 3, 2015**

Kate startled when she heard a knock on the front door.

Castle was out of town so it was just Kate and Joey in the loft. Kate wasn't expecting anyone so her gaze flickered suspiciously to the door before turning to her newborn son asleep in the swing. She couldn't tell if it was years of being a cop or the newly overpowering protectiveness she felt for her son that made her want to grab her gun. She crept silently towards the door and peeked through the peephole. Martha. She let out a sigh and pulled the door open.

"Hello, Martha!" Kate sounded every bit as surprised as she felt.

"Darling! I heard you were holding down the fort by yourself and thought I would stop by."

"Of course. Come in." Kate ushered her inside. "Joey's sleeping so I'm afraid he's not the best of company." She joked.

Martha let out a soft laugh and scooted around the couch to get a better view of her new grandson. "Oh, he's such a doll!" She cooed. "He looks just like Richard did at that age."

"Speaking of Richard," Kate mumbled, running her fingers along the edge of the couch. "I gotta ask; Did he put you up to this?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Martha asked, turning around to face Kate.

Kate inhaled sharply. "I mean, he's on his book tour and this is the first time I've been alone with the baby for several days. I really appreciate you coming over, but if he said anything about me needing assistance –"

"My dear Kate," Martha interrupted almost brusquely. "I've never been one to doubt a mother's ability to care for her child alone."

Kate felt heat rise to her face. She'd been so offended by the notion that Castle didn't trust her that she completely forgot who she was talking to. Martha had done it _all_ by herself.

"I'm sorry, Martha –"

With a wave of her hand, Martha dismissed it. "Don't give it another thought. Now, is it alright if I take little Joseph out of the swing?"

"Of course." Kate smiled as relief flooded her. "He'll sleep right through it." She found it amusing that Martha was the only one in the family who hadn't taken to calling the baby 'Joey'. Perhaps Martha preferred the sound of his full name, much like she insisted on using her own son's full name when she spoke to him.

"Hello, Handsome." Martha uttered softly, cradling the babe in one arm and gently running her other hand over the silky fuzz on the top of his head. "Oh, my. I do miss this stage from time to time." Martha admitted, snuggling with the newborn. Kate felt her heart swell watching the two. She seated herself next to Martha and just looked at her son, a thousand different emotions battling for control. She'd never loved another soul the way that she loved Joey.

"It goes by fast." Martha mused. "I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times, but there's a reason for that. It goes faster than you'd expect. Especially this age when they fall asleep on you and you could hold them forever and then you blink. Don't blink, my dear."

Kate smiled and wished it was within her control how fast Joey would grow up. "I'll try not to."

Joey began to squirm in Martha's arms and soon his shrill cry filled the loft.

"He's probably hungry." Kate said, reaching for him. Martha handed the baby over.

"Speaking of hunger; you take care of Joseph's and I'll whip us up something."

"Oh, no. Martha, you don't have to –"

"Save it." Martha interrupted in her no-nonsense manner with just a hint of a smile on her lips. "It's my treat. Just because you can do it all doesn't mean you should."

Again, Kate felt humbled. "Thank you." She murmured, gratitude filling her voice, before she walked away to her bedroom with her squalling son. And as she nursed him, she was struck with the thought that this was what it was like to have a mother as an adult. Everything that Martha was doing could have just as easily been something Johanna would have done. Kate felt her heart sink in her chest.

"We've got to cut Grandma some slack, don't we?" Kate whispered to her son. "She's just being a good mom."

Martha watched from the kitchen as Kate emerge from her room with Joey nestled on her shoulder. "Are we feeling better, Little Prince?"

"I think so." Kate spoke for him, turning a bit so Martha could see his face perched on her shoulder.

"Oh, he's so alert right now. Hello, Joseph Alexander!"

Kate grinned, knowing Martha had appreciated the middle name she had picked for her son getting passed on to Joey. However, it was an even deeper meaning for Kate and Rick, one that they liked to keep to themselves and share secret smiles over.

"It's funny," Martha began as she continued tending to the simmering pots on the stove. "You spend so much time trying to come up with the best-sounding name for the little one and once you've found one, you think it's the most wonderful name you've ever heard… and then eight years later, you find you only use it when you're screaming it at the top of your lungs."

Kate laughed at this, picturing her partner as an up-to-no-good child of eight and Martha hollering at him when she catches him.

"Just wait." Martha warned. "Your time will come when you walk in the door and see your son scaling the wall."

"If he's anything like his father, I'm sure it'll happen." Kate agreed.

Kate set Joey in his swing while she and Martha ate dinner. Kate had to admit it was nice to simply sit down and eat without having to do any of the prep work. And the food itself was not half-bad, given who had prepared it.

"That was wonderful, Martha. Thank you." Kate said, starting to rise with her dish.

"Oh, sit, sit, sit." Martha ordered, swiping the plate from Kate. "I'll handle the clean up."

Out of instinct, Kate wanted to argue, to tell Martha that she had done all the cooking so Kate should have the cleaning, but she bit her tongue. She'd told her son she'd let Martha do her thing – and although Joey had no knowledge of that conversation, Kate believed herself to be a woman of her word.

Kate's phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a text from Rick, wondering how things were going back home.

Not so bad. Your mother came over and made me dinner.

She chuckled when she read his response.

And you're still alive?! … just kidding. Sort of. How's my little man?

She typed out a reply and hit send.

It was a very nice gesture from Martha. Joey is an angel. If he stays just like this for the next 18 years, everything will be golden

Her phone vibrated on the table.

I wouldn't count on it… he's got half my DNA…

She smiled, but got distracted from responding by Joey's cooing. "Hey Baby, I didn't forget about you."

She pulled him out of the swing and sat down on the couch, snuggling her three-week-old close. It was nice, she decided, to have Martha there. It was the first time since Rick had left that she didn't feel she had a million things to do in addition to tending to Joey. There hadn't been too many mommy/baby bonding moments of late since she was the only adult home. But now… now she got a moment with her son. A moment to take in 8 lbs of handsome, to hold his impossibly tiny fingers, and breathe in that intoxicating baby smell.

Martha finished up in the kitchen several minutes later and seated herself next to Kate, unable to restrain the smile that always crept across her face when she laid eyes on her grandson. "When does Richard get back?"

"Tuesday." Kate murmured, trailing a finger around Joey's ear.

"Not too bad."

"No, it really hasn't been." Kate agreed. "Rick felt so guilty leaving, but it was either push it back until after Joey was born or try and get it done before he was born and hope that I didn't go into labor." She shook her head a little. "I won't say I don't miss him now, but if I had to go through that delivery by myself because he was on a book tour, it wouldn't have been pretty for him."

Martha laughed softly.

"But he sure can't wait to see this little guy again." Kate said, shifting Joey in her arms. "Want to hold him again?"

"Yes. Give me that baby." Martha took Joey carefully and rested him in her lap, cradling his head by her knees so she could look at him. "Hello, Sweet Boy."

Kate kept her eyes on the pair, feeling like she could almost see a young Martha with her newborn son. Kate had Rick, but Martha had done it all by herself. Every feeding, every diaper change, every bath. She didn't have someone to tag-team those middle-of-the-night wake-up calls or to do the laundry or cook dinner. Martha had been all her infant son had. And now, being a mother herself, Kate felt a renewed wave a gratitude wash over her – because she couldn't ask for a better partner than Rick, and Martha had been the one to raise him.

Martha dropped a kiss to Joey's head. "Alright, I really better get going. I just wanted to visit for a moment with this little one."

"You are more than welcome to stay." Kate offered, feeling like Martha had spent more than half the time cooking and cleaning, rather than visiting. If she would only stay a little longer, Kate would feel better about it.

"No, no." Martha waved her hand. She gently started to transfer Joey into Kate's arms. With the baby securely in her grasp, Kate stood to walk Martha to the door.

"Thank you for dinner." Kate told her sincerely. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to say. She was thankful for more than just that, but Martha seemed to recognize the delayed gratitude in Kate's voice. Again, she waved it off. She smiled, kissed the baby one more time, told Kate to have a wonderful night, and then she was gone. Kate closed the door after her.

"It's just you and me, Little One." Kate murmured to her son. "Just until Tuesday. Then Daddy will be home."

* * *

**Thoughts on this chapter? Does anyone want more Martha or Alexis in this fic? **


	17. Life is a Zoo

**A/N: Ok, first off, I love all of you! Last chapter got the most reviews yet so thank you! And I'm amazed that I keep getting follows and favorites for this story! Thanks! **

**I decided Gage needed some love so this chapter was the result. As always, enjoy! :)**

*****Chapters do NOT always go in order*** **

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

******June 20, 2017 - Gage was born**

* * *

**September 2021**

It had been two weeks since Joey started 1st grade. Castle had feared how he or Beckett or even Joey would handle it, but surprisingly, the only one who wasn't taking it well was Gage. Joey couldn't be more thrilled with school. He loved his teacher, his desk that held all of his new supplies, his Lone Vengeance backpack, and the fact that he sat next to his best friend Aidan. He especially loved playing off-the-ground tag at recess. With all the excitement, Joey barely had time to register that he wasn't at home with his dad. Not to mention that Joey's half-day Kindergarten program the year before had prepared him for the routine.

Heading out of a summer with both boys at home, Castle found that he was mostly relieved to be down to one boy for most of the day. It helped that Joey enjoyed school so much and he didn't have to worry about him. Gage, on the other hand, had cried all of Joey's first week. After getting three months of vacation with Joey, Gage was suddenly lost without his big brother. But after a second week of just getting by with a distraught Gage, Castle realized he hadn't seen this time of transition for all it could be; more one-on-one time with Gage. In a few days, he would be starting preschool. It was only for a few hours for three days a week, just enough to get the kids' feet wet in this whole school business. The rest of the time, though, would be just Gage and his dad. The prospect of this was suddenly thrilling. How could he forget how important this time was? Alexis was grown and Joey was already in 1st grade. These days with Gage at home would be gone before he knew.

It didn't take much planning for Castle to decide on the day's events. The main goal was simply to get the boy out of the house and have some fun. The rest had fallen into place quite nicely.

"Daddy, where are we going?" Gage asked, a hint of a whine still in his voice. He was holding Castle's hand and taking quick steps to try and match the pace of his father's long stride.

"You'll know it when you see it." Castle teased. They weaved through the bustling streets, taking in the usual sights and smells.

"Are we almost there?" Gage wondered out loud, huffing a little as he asked. Castle turned concerned eyes to his son.

"Not quite. Are you getting tired?"

Gage nodded solemnly and then squealed with laughter when he was suddenly lifted onto his father's shoulders.

"Better?" Castle asked as he marched on. Gage's little hands clasped together under Castle's chin.

"Yes!"

Castle could hear the smile in his voice. Good.

Several blocks later, he heard Gage gasp and could practically picture the boy's face. "Daddy, are we going _there_?"

Castle grinned. "You bet, Buddy."

The zoo was in sight and Gage was practically falling off of Castle in his excited. It seemed a safe bet that Gage was ready to walk again, so Castle placed him back on his feet as they entered.

"Look, there's monkeys, Gage! Wanna go see them?"

"Nah." He surprised his father by saying.

"I thought you liked monkeys because you are one." Castle teased, tickling the boy's neck. Gage squirmed and stepped out of Castle's reach, giggling.

"I'm just Mommy's monkey." He said seriously.

Castle couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. "Alright, then. You tell me where you want to go."

Gage pondered this for a minute. "The reptile house!"

They got their fix of snakes and lizards and all things reptilian before moving on to birds of prey and then wild cats. Gage walked for a while, but eventually found his way back on Castle's shoulders with very little begging.

"Do you want something to eat, Buddy?" Castle asked, feeling the familiar rumble in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah, I could go for a hotdog." Gage told him. His father grinned, loving his son's simplicity when it came to food. They stopped by the hotdog vendor and each got a hotdog with mustard. The vendor reached high to give Gage his food and jokingly told him not to spill any on his dad. Gage laughed at the thought.

Castle strolled on, ambling passed the elephants. "So what is your very favorite animal, Gage? If it's not monkeys…"

Gage thought it over. "Owls." He decided.

"Oh yeah?" Castle smiled.

"Because they can turn their head all the way around to the back!" Gage informed him. Castle couldn't be sure, but he was almost certain Gage was twisting his neck around as he explained.

"That is pretty cool."

"And I like cheetahs because they are _so_ fast. But they don't have any cheetahs at the zoo."

Castle felt something plop onto his hair.

"Gage?"

His son was silent. He felt little fingers wiping at the spot, felt something seep in between his strands of hair and spread around.

"Gage?" Castle tried again.

"I'm sorry, Daddy!" He cried in distress.

"It's ok, Buddy. It's just mustard. Just… here. Here's a napkin." He held it up and felt Gage take it, then felt it pressed against his scalp.

"What do you say, Son? You up for the giraffes?" Castle quickly changed the subject.

"Yes!"

"I think you might be just as tall as them from where you're sitting." Castle joked.

"I think I'm taller." Gage said confidently. "See?"

Castle really couldn't, but he tried to look up at Gage.

"I can reach the leaves!" Gage exclaimed, tugging at the branches that hung just low enough over the path. "That's how tall I am!"

"That's pretty tall." Castle agreed. He suddenly felt leaves on one side of his face, trying to tickle him. "Gage!" He tried to swat at them with one hand, the other holding the boy's legs against him.

It didn't take long to get Gage laughing. Castle savored the sound, relieved to finally have his care-free Gage back, imagining he was a giraffe as he sat on his father's shoulders. They stayed at the zoo until it was time to head back and meet Joey's bus at his stop. They ambled back together, not really in a hurry and enjoying a shared contentment between father and son over a day well-spent.

"After seeing all those animals… are owls and cheetahs still your favorites?" Castle checked.

"Yep." Gage answered cheerily. "Definitely _not_ goats." He added melodramatically and Castle had to stifle a laugh, remembering Gage's minor freak-out in the petting zoo when he tried to feed some of the animals.

"He was a very hungry goat." Castle concluded.

"Not a nice goat." Gage mumbled.

"But you had fun? Aside from that?"

Gage nodded his head vigorously, then looked up at his dad, a bright smile on his little face and a twinkle in his blue eyes. He slipped his hand into Castle's and bounced along at his side, ever the light-hearted Gage that Castle had missed these last two weeks.

"Hey, Buddy?"

Gage craned his neck to look up at his father.

"I loved spending the day with you."

Gage smiled at his father's words, bumping his head against Castle's hand affectionately. He's never been one for words and Castle knows this. It doesn't matter to him because that's just Gage and the boy shows his thoughts and feelings rather than speaking them all the time.

"Daddy?" Gage spoke up after several blocks of comfortable quiet.

"Yes?"

"Can we go again tomorrow with Mommy and Joey?" The little boy asked.

It hits Castle then, just how big Gage's heart is. They'd spent the day together building memories just between the two and instead of keeping it that way, his four-year-old wanted to let Kate and Joey in on it. He looked down at his son and wondered how he's so fortunate to be the father to three of the most wonderful human beings on the planet. But he couldn't ponder it for long because Gage was waiting for an answer. Castle pretended to mull it over until Gage tugged impatiently on the hand he's holding.

"Daddy!" He exclaimed, half-laughing.

"Ok, ok. Easy on the hand." Castle pretended to gripe. He grabbed Gage and swung him up into his arms. "Of course we can go tomorrow with Mommy and Joey."

Gage sighed happily and Castle reminded himself not to take these little moments for granted. He certainly wouldn't today.


	18. Catch

**A/N: Wow. Um, hello? Anyone still there? I swear I haven't abandoned this fic! I can't believe how long its been since I updated this. It was the unfortunate combination of school, personal issues, and an utter lack of inspiration/motivation for this story. At the moment, I've been completely swept up with another Castle story that is in the works, but I wanted to post another chapter on here and apologize for the delay. I'm not done with this story, but given the loose structure of this fic, I might be putting it on hold or updating less frequently(but hopefully not waiting over 2 months like I did this time). In the meantime, I'll be working on another fic with a plot (yeah plots!) that I hope you guys will read soon! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for reading this little story of mine and for reviewing/following/favoriting(ok that's not a word, but you know what I mean). I really appreciate it and I hope to keep writing interesting adventures for Joey and Gage in the future! **

*****Chapters do NOT always go in order*** **

**January 11, 2015 - Joey was born **

******June 20, 2017 - Gage was born**

* * *

**Spring 2022**

"That was a good one!"

Castle tossed the ball back to his son. Joey jumped high and caught it in his glove. Oops. Castle had been a little off. Joey cocked the ball back and lofted it.

"Use your wrist more."

It was a gorgeous day in mid-Spring, the weather airy and cool, but sunny. Color was returning to Central Park in the form of vibrant greens and dashes of reds, purples, and yellows. They hardly needed an excuse to go outside, but this day was practically calling to them to step out and soak it in.

"Remember to stand sideways when you start throwing."

It was one of those quintessential moments of father-son bonding, the age-old practice of tossing a ball around outside. It was cliché, yes, but Castle didn't care because he couldn't even put into words the feeling he got when Joey came up to him with a ball and a glove and earnestly asked if he'd help him practice.

"Nice. Much better with the wrist."

Joey was playing baseball this year. He'd done T-ball for two years and loved it, but he was seven now and seemed nervous about the transition up to baseball and the new coach and not having as many of the same teammates. He didn't have anything to worry about because he was an outgoing kid and a budding athlete, but the problem was he didn't see it.

"Make sure you step towards your target when you throw." Joey said as he went to retrieve the ball that had gone a little too far to the left.

Of course, Castle wasn't sure how much he was actually helping if Joey was the one giving all the advice. Joey threw the ball back and it went a little low. Castle scooped it up from the ground and tried to remember everything Joey had been saying; stand sideways, use your wrist, step towards your target when you throw. Well, he was a little closer this time. He definitely wasn't getting _worse_ at this. Maybe by the time Joey was in high school, they'd actually be able to toss the ball back and forth several times in a row.

Joey caught the ball and a huge smile spread across his face. "That was a great one, Dad!"

Joey's encouragement stopped Castle's thoughts in their tracks. This kid was too much for his heart to handle. Joey honestly believed Castle could get better at this, that he could help his dad, and just the fact that Joey was _enjoying_ this and that he was _proud_ of his dad's progress had Castle completely floored. It should be the other way around, Castle mused. And it is, in a way. Castle is overflowing with pride for Joey, but it has less to do with how well Joey can throw and more to do with Joey's uninhibited determination and his kind heart.

"Come on, let's take a break." Castle called to him. "I see an ice cream truck with our names on it."

Joey quickly jogged over to Castle, slapping the ball repeatedly into his glove like he'd seen his favorite baseball players do numerous times.

"You're getting really good, Buddy." Castle slung an arm around the boy's shoulders as they walked side by side. He wondered if Joey knew that Kate was so much better at catch. He had to know because Kate had been the one taking him to ball games since before he could walk and signing him up for tee ball and buying him his first glove. Usually, she was the one here in the park with him, so Joey had to know she was better, didn't he? "Soon you'll be so good, I won't be able to keep up."

"Not if we practice together." Joey said quickly. "Don't you want to get better, too?" He asked his father. He was more pragmatic than Castle would have ever dreamed a son of his would be. To Joey, everything had a solution. There was more Kate in him than people gave him credit for. Even Kate, oddly enough. She was always the first to point out Joey's zest for life and exuberant nature and oddball sense of humor that could have only come from Castle. That was Joey in a nutshell, but he was also a perfectionist and an overachiever. Like Kate. And he was unfailingly loyal to his friends and family. Like Kate.

Someday, Joey would realize that athleticism was genetic and he was practicing with the wrong parent, but until that day, Castle would struggle through this game of catch with his older son with joy.

"For you, Joey? Always."

Because Joey was like Kate in yet another way: Castle would do anything to see the smile on his face.

* * *

**Thoughts? A little short, I know...  
**

**P.S. Over my break from this story, I further procrastinated from writing by getting a tumblr and twitter. If you have either accounts, please find me! I'd love to connect with all of you! **

**Twitter: AubreyMae15**

**Tumblr: aubrey-mae-15  
**


	19. Out of the Blue

**The Year 2024**

"Mom?"

Kate lifts her gaze from the book she's reading, settling on her son as he cautiously broaches the entrance to the bedroom. Before he even speaks, she senses something is bothering him. Joey's usually not so skittish. In fact, it was obvious he'd inherited Castle's lack of a filter when it came to speaking his mind so it was troubling to watch Joey now sit on the edge of the bed and struggle to get the words out. Kate pushed her book aside and reached for Joey, scooting him closer to her.

"What's on your mind, Goof?" Kate ran her hand over his hair and the response to this little act was immediate. He visibly relaxed under her touch, dispelling all worry as he did. This was Mom he was talking to.

"How did Grandma die?"

Ice shot through her veins, starting in her heart and spreading outward.

"What?" She whispered as her hand stilled.

Fear flickered across Joey's face. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea, but the question had been poking around in his mind for days, starting as a gentle nudge and then growing more aggressive. He was curious, had even been told he was _too_ curious by a teacher once when she'd found him poking around the janitor's closet in his attempt to find a secret passageway in the school. He wanted – no, at this point he _needed_ to know what had happened. It bothered him that they never talked about it. So he'd decided to ask, but he'd never dreamed it would create such a response from his mom. Regret stirred in his gut. This had been a mistake.

Kate reminded herself to breathe. She forced air into her lungs, felt the surge of oxygen clear her thoughts just a little. She should have expected this to happen. She did expect this question to come up eventually, but not today. Not so soon. Joey had thrown her completely off kilter. There was something in his tone, in the way he asked, that made her wonder if he already knew the answer. No, of course he couldn't. But maybe he sensed it was something bad. Either way, she couldn't lie to him. He deserved the truth and lying to him about this would only tarnish Johanna Beckett's legacy. Kate searched his innocent blue eyes, free of pain or anger, and she felt a wrench of sadness. She wasn't prepared for this talk, for his resulting questions. He was nine and far from sheltered, but this would reveal to him a whole new kind of evil. She felt like a thief, stealing the last shred of childhood innocence from him. It wasn't fair. He deserved a relationship with the special woman who raised her just as much as her mother had deserved to live. She felt a sob rising in her throat and choked it back. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Joey from ever coming to her with questions. Already, she could see remorse in his features.

"Baby," She began softly. "I'm going to tell you something that won't be easy to hear. But you need to know what happened and I want you to ask questions if you have any." Joey shifted uncomfortably. God, she just wanted this to be over already. "You know that my mom was a lawyer and that she was always working to uncover the truth. Before she died, she was trying to help a man who'd been put in prison for something he didn't do. He was accused of murder and she was trying to prove he was innocent, but the people responsible for the murder found out." Kate dropped her gaze to the mattress, no longer able to watch Joey as she spoke. "You see, they had been kidnapping mobsters years before and offering a huge ransom for the families to get them back. One time, things went wrong and somebody got killed. An innocent man was blamed and nobody knew until my mom listened to the man's story and agreed to help with his case. Those people responsible? They were afraid of the truth coming out and what would happen to them when it did. They knew they would now have to pay the price for their crimes and they didn't want that. So one man had your grandmother murdered to keep everything a secret." She blinked her eyes furiously when they filled with tears. She finally built up enough courage to look at her son and felt her heart break at the confusion she saw there.

"He killed her?" Joey murmured, crushed.

Kate bit her bottom lip and nodded.

"How?" It was barely a whisper, so quiet Kate almost didn't catch it. She drew a shaky breath, knowing he needed to fill in the blanks.

"She was stabbed." Her voice cracks on the last word. It never gets easier, talking about this. Talking about her mother's death with Joey, though, just might be the hardest yet. "In an alley. We found out later it was actually the same alley where the first murder had been committed." He takes the news in stride and she knows he's conjuring up the mental images of this and it wrenches her wounded heart further. She continues. She doesn't know how, but she keeps talking, taking cues from Joey on what he can handle. She waters it down as best she can, without minimizing it or taking away from the truth. She chooses her words carefully so they are honest, but not harsh.

"Did you find out who did it?" He cuts in before she can even get to that part. Despite what they're talking about, she actually smiles a little because this is so typical of Joey, the boy who frustrates his father by reading the end of the book first. And she decides perhaps it is best to tell him the end and let him ask on his own about parts that he's confused about.

"We did. Your dad and I figured it out together. And you know what? He's still rotting in prison to this day, living every moment with the knowledge that the truth always wins and he has to pay for his crimes. He thought he was powerful and untouchable, but he's not above the law. Nobody is."

Joey smiles sadly. "I'm glad he didn't get away with it, but it still…" He struggles for the right words. "It still makes me mad that it happened at all. I wish Grandma hadn't died."

She nods understandingly and pulls him in close. "I feel the same way." She whispers against his hair. But it's a conflicting thought, knowing her sons probably wouldn't exist if her mom had lived. She can't rewrite history, but she can find happiness after sorrow. Castle, Joey, and Gage – they're her happiness in life.

Joey pulls back and she sees the inner turmoil in his eyes. He's torn between needing to know more and dealing with the feelings that come with the knowledge. She gets it. She's been there herself, but she's thankful that he doesn't have to go looking for the answers like she did. She's grateful for the closure she can offer him because that was something she didn't have for a very long time. They talk until the cloud of questions dissipates and Joey no longer has anything to wonder about. In its place, though, is grief. She finds her maternal instincts responding to it, needing it to be gone.

"More than anything, I want you to remember that your grandmother was a wonderful woman. She was strong and fearless and she was also incredibly kind and an amazing mother." Kate tells him, rubbing his back in an attempt to sooth the ache this conversation has created. "You're a very wonderful boy, Joey, and I know your grandmother would have loved you very much."

"I really wish I knew her." He admits after a moment, his words like a kick to her gut.

"I wish she could've known you, too."

He lets his head fall against her shoulder.

"Oh, Buddy. It's ok to be sad. I get sad about it, too, sometimes."

"Do you miss her a lot?" He wants to know. She takes a deep breath.

"I do." She tells him honestly. Even when it hurts, she tries to be honest with him, tries to help him get a step ahead with his communication skills. If he's anything like either parent, he's got the deck stacked against him in that regard. "I miss her when I accomplish something I know she would have been proud of, or whenever there's a big milestone for you or your brother and she doesn't get to see it, or when I'm confused and want advice from her. But you know what? Having you and your brother make me miss her a little bit less, also. Because I can see my mom in my boys. Like when Gagey smiles." Her own brilliant smile appears just thinking about it. "Gagey has my mom's smile and whenever I see it on his face, it feels like she's there. It's a way to see my mom's imprint on my sons even though she's never met you or Gage."

"What about me?" Joey asks. "What do you see in me?"

Her smile deepens as she frames his face with one hand. Her precious firstborn. She loves him so much it hurts. "With you, my goofball, I see my mom in the way you always need everything to be fair. Like the way you always have to count how many vegetables I put on both plates at dinner to make sure that you and Gage have an equal amount." He grins mischievously at this. Yes, he knows how he is with fairness.

"It's only fair if Gagey eats all of them." Joey points out.

"Exactly." Kate giggles, her son proving her point so perfectly. "But that's why you get dessert more times than he does."

"So Grandma was like that, too?"

"Not about vegetables and dessert, but in other ways, yes. She had her own system of beliefs that she operated by and she firmly believed in fairness and honesty and hard work. You get that from her."

There's a soft click from the living room as the front door opens, cutting their conversation short.

"Dad and Gage are home." Kate says as the sounds of their arrival filter through to the two of them. She watches Joey for a moment, assessing if he really is ok.

"Can I go see if Gage wants to play?" He asks. He's ready to be dismissed, she can see. She smiles a little. Yes, he seems to be alright, considering…

"Sure, Goof."

He jumps off the bed.

"Just…"

He spins around for a moment.

"Don't say anything to Gage about what we talked about. He's not ready to hear it."

"Ok, Mom." And he's gone, running off into the other room, all visible signs of distress shaken off. He's acting like any nine-year-old should. Kate hears chatter, which elevates to excited shouts before the boys run upstairs together and it gets quieter again. She hopes Joey sticks to his word because her mother's murder isn't something she wants Gage to hear about from his nine-year-old brother. It's a conversation that needs to come from her, just like it did with Joey today. She draws a sharp breath, already dreading the thought of doing this again with Gage.

She hears Castle's footsteps heading towards the bedroom, but she pushes herself up and meets him halfway.

"Hey," He says, a hint of surprise in his tone when she practically collides with him. His arms instinctively wrap around her as she buries her head into his chest. "Are you ok?" For a long time, she doesn't move, just holds onto him.

"Kate?" He prods, more worried now. She turns her head to the side and rests it against his chest, tucked under his chin.

"Joey ambushed me a little while ago."

He chuckles a little because this is something he's familiar with. "Oh yeah? What was it this time? Wait, let me guess: he wants a bigger allowance. He tried that one on me last week."

"You caved and gave it to him." Kate points out humorously.

"Yeah. Well. The boy made a compelling case." He says defensively.

She smiles against him, but it doesn't last and Castle begins to wonder what this is really about.

"He asked about my mom." She finally admits and feels him stiffen. "About how she died."

"Oh, Kate…" He breathes. If it were any other person, she'd hate the amount of sympathy in his tone, but this is Castle. She breathes in deeply, inhaling the scents of cologne and fabric softener, letting it soothe her.

"For what it was, it went well." She admits. "I just – I just need a few more minutes of _this_." She squeezes him tighter.

"You and your unreasonable demands." He pretends to chide and she lets the levity he's brought to the moment seep into her.

"I know, I'm so difficult." She huffs with a hint of a smile.

"Hey, Castle?" She asks after a stretch of silence.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For…" Being a nosy smartass and digging into her mother's case. Bringing new evidence to light. Helping her see when she was taking it too far. Saving her life. Fighting along side her until the case had finally been put to rest and Bracken was brought to justice. "Everything." For just being Castle.

"Always."


End file.
